Remnant Divided
by caruso2951
Summary: For four years, Remnant has been occupied by the Galactic Empire with its rule tightening every day because of the value of Dust. Now Team RWBY finds itself on opposite sides in a war that has already engulfed the galaxy. WhiteRose and Bumblebee
1. Weiss

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it

 **Welcome to my second fic and has been on the planning stages for some time now; even longer than my other story. I will be using elements from the Star Wars Old EU or "legends" since I happen to enjoy that more than the new canon produced by Disney; so expect some familiar faces to show up if you are knowledgeable of that. I always welcome reviews and constructive criticisms so feel free to leave your comments; especially if you feel that I am not explaining things properly. Updates will not be as much as my other fic but will try to be as soon as possible. Also, many of you might be confused on the timeline of the fic and I ask you to be patient since things will be explained over the course of several chapters.**

Weiss opened her eyes with her head on the pillow.

As she lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, light streamed through the cracks in the curtains which slightly illuminated the room.

Looking over at the generic clock that was on a small table next to the bed, Weiss saw that it was nearly time for her to get up; having a full day in front of her. As much as she wanted to just sleep a little more, the young woman knew that there would be more than enough time for that on the way home after business was concluded here. Moving the sheets off her body, she stood up dressed only in a pair of simple shorts with a white t-shirt; her usual sleepwear. Walking over to the small dresser only a few feet away, Weiss grabbed her blue robe and wrapped her form in it before going to pour herself some water; which a pitcher of it as well as a glass not too far away. After sipping down a few gulps, which was at room temperature, she yawned and stretched her body somewhat with a few pops coming from her bones. Moving her head around a few times and then went to the window; moving the drapes aside to take in the view.

Even after spending a few days here, Coruscant still amazed Weiss every time she looked around. Both her and the rest of her father's entourage had been given residence in an apartment building that was normally used for Imperial Senators; which offered a fantastic view of both the Imperial Senate, the Imperial Palace, and other landmarks unlike anything seen back on Remnant. The room she was staying in was quite large with its own bathroom as well as a closet; though the décor was something to be desired. The blue walls with matching carpet made it look so uniform almost like the Schnee mansion back home; which was why her personal spaces were always decorated personally to give some life to it. The bed was also pretty plain looking with grey sheets though Weiss did have to admit it was pretty comfortable compared to the bed she had been given aboard the ship coming here. There was a metal dresser across from the bed, a small table with two chairs, and a small desk next to the bed with a clock as well as a lamp.

Going over to the bathroom, she stepped inside and shed her clothing so that she could prepare herself for the day. The bathroom was more spacious than one expected with a toilet, a large sink, a tub as well as a shower; though the shower only allowed for one occupant and was surrounded by glass walls. Not feeling comfortable with the tub for some reason, though Weiss concluded that it was probably because of the plainness of it, she stepped into the shower stall and turned on the water; with it being warm right off the bat instead of starting off cold which even she couldn't even get at home. There was a small pouch in the stall that she had brought from home, containing soaps and lotions that she preferred instead of the generic stuff provided by her hosts, and she spent the next few minutes cleaning herself while enjoying the silence that was to be gone soon. After she was finished, she grabbed a large white towel on the rack next to the stall and wrapped her body in it while going back to the room to dress for the day.

Weiss had brought a large amount of outfits with her for the journey here; as commanded by her father. Going over to the closet, she grabbed a dark blue dress with a skirt that ran to her knees from the hanger and placed it on the bed while she put some undergarments; slipping the dress on when she was done. After grabbing another pouch containing her makeup, she went back to the bathroom to apply some on her face while doing her best to touch up the scar over her eye; though she could never really cover it up completely. Once she was done with that, Weiss grabbed her necklace and placed it around her neck as well as put on a few rings; given to her by her father some time ago. She then brushed her hair in front of the mirror and then placed it in a ponytail which was her normal style with a small bun at the top. The last thing she did was to put on some light blue heels and then placed her Myrtenaster at her hip which had lain next to the bed within grabbing distance. Even after all these years, Weiss still felt more comfortable with her weapon by her side at all times.

After touching herself up, the young woman opened the door and walked out of her room.

Weiss wasn't surprised to find her father already having guests at the apartment; with them eating breakfast at the table when she walked in. Her father, dressed in his usual white business suit, was with another older man dressed in a dark green military uniform that indicated that he was in the Imperial Military; pretty high in the hierarchy from the insignia on his chest. Weiss was still getting used to studying up on the aspects of the Imperial Military as well as all the ranks it had so she didn't recognize the man; concluding that it was just another VIP her father was trying to court in his attempt to expand the Schnee Company to the rest of the galaxy; though there seemed to be quite a few troops standing guard in the form of regular stormtroopers in their white armor. The man had lines on his Caucasian face with traces of grey at the edges of his face. She put the man at about the same age as her father and was rather fit looking; appearing to actually have served in the Military unlike the other Moffs she had seen before except for a few.

With Dust wholly unique to Remnant, this gave her family the chance to place itself firmly on the Galactic Stage given their influence with the occupying Imperial Authorities. Recently, her father had been placed in control of all Dust mining and processing on Remnant which had been backed by the authority of the Empire; not to mention the military equipment it also built. The Schnee were one of the first to submit to the Empire following the occupation and her father had skillfully maneuvered his way into their good graces. Realizing that the future of the Company lay in the Empire itself, Morgan made plans for his company as well as the rest of the Schnee family. As the heir to the family along with the company itself, Weiss was expected to continue what her father was creating here. It had taken months of political influencing to get to this point; both Weiss and her sister playing a part.

"Weiss; good to see you up. Come meet our guest," her father ordered as he noticed her along with the older man. Weiss nodded and put on her best face as she approached and curtsied out of respect.

"This is Moff Ardus Kaine; the man who is now in charge of our world along with many others. Moff Kaine, this is my daughter Weiss who I was speaking of earlier," presented Morgan Schnee as both men rose to meet the young woman. The Moff smiled in greeting with a slight military bow while taking Weiss's hand and kissing it.

"A pleasure to finally meet you; your father does not do you justice," the Moff said as all three took their seats at the table to continue eating. A servant, a young male, arrived to place a plate of food in front of the young woman.

"Thank you Moff Kaine; it is an honor to meet you," stated Weiss as she used her fork to pick up a piece of egg to put in her mouth.

The cuisine she had encountered on Coruscant was just as fancy as she had eaten back home; not to mention Beacon itself. It seemed that eggs were universal along with bacon and other types of pork; prepared in some sort of yellow sauce that tasted quite good though a bit tangy. Other types of food she had encountered, prepared by the staff in the apartment, were local delicacies derived from the many worlds of the Empire; some good but a few weird tasting ones as well. Out of all of them, Weiss seemed to prefer the ones that came from a planet called Corellia though the dishes from there always seemed a little wild; much like the people from there. With the meal was a type of orange juice though a bit sweeter; her father though was drinking tea that he had brought with him. The Moff was drinking the same thing and no doubt seemed to be enjoying it though Weiss couldn't be completely sure. As she ate, her father started speaking again and Weiss did her best to appear interested; though she was only partially.

Weiss had yet to see Moff Kaine before, him never appearing on any of the holo news outlets she sometimes watched on the journey here; she did however know the name. Like her father, the young woman studied every aspect of the Empire that now ruled her world as did her best to pick out the most influencial people. If her father was successful, then she would have to deal with these very same people once she took the reins of the Schnee Family so it was ideal to know as much as she could. She knew that Ardus Kaine was one of the more powerful Moffs in the Empire and rumored to be right up there with Grand Moff Tarkin himself; even expected to take his place if anything ever happened to the Grand Moff. Moff Kaine had many other lesser Moffs under his authority in what was described as the New Territories; an area of space Northward of the Galactic Core. Remnant lay on the edge of this area of space thus it wasn't a surprise to Weiss that it was now under the Moff's authority. If there was any person that Morgan Schnee wanted to suck up to in order to gain influence, it would be this man. The young woman knew her father's ambitions well which she could not escape; sadly resigned to her fate.

"Moff Kaine will be viewing the test today along with other elements of the Imperial Military; we leave for the test site after we have eaten," Morgan Schnee informed with pride in his voice; apparently quite happy with the circumstance. Originally, only a few Generals were expected to view the weapons that the Schnee were demonstrating today; thus there was a chance to really make the company's mark.

"I see; it is then an honor to have you with us Moff Kaine," Weiss told the older man with a smile; somewhat fake. In the last few years, the young woman had gotten used to speaking with Imperial Officials and knew how to play their game.

"Well I have to say that I am impressed with what I have seen in what you brought with you to the Imperial Center. I am most looking forward to seeing these Paladins in action and if everything goes well, your company will take its place as one of the many important weapon manufacturers in the Empire," stated the Moff with a genuine smile; actually being honest that he was impressed. While Grand Moff Tarkin focused more on his pet project of the Death Star, Kaine looked to expand his influence else ware.

When it came to weapons manufacturing in the Empire, namely warships and vehicles, everything was mostly centered in the Core. The few factories that lay in the Outer Rim were under the control of parent companies that lie in the Core Worlds; having fell under their power in the aftermath of the Clone Wars. It was by luck that the Yaga Minor Shipyards in the New Territories were independent of the Core and were able to produce Star Destroyers in various classes; even the Dreadnaught classes if need be. While that particular shipyard was under the authority of a lesser Moff, the man was loyal to Kaine and a trusted friend. Other than his personal command ship, many of the vessels that made up his direct forces had been produced here on the Rim and were crewed by soldiers recruited from the many worlds of the New Territories though still trained in the Core on Carida. He had also spent years seeding the vast territory with loyal subjects of the Emperor in an effort to create a strong loyalist stronghold in the Empire.

When it came to ground vehicles, he had to rely on leftovers from the CIS until Remnant came under his control; having been granted it by the Emperor himself. The military weapons built by the world were very different than the ones used by the Empire; thus they were of unique design and not under any Core World's influence. So far, Ardus had looked over what the Schnee were bringing to the table and liked what he saw; planning to use the family and their company to produce vehicles for his corner of the Empire. Though he was fiercely loyal to Emperor Palpatine and would never rise up against him, the Moff had rivals he had to contend with; namely Tarkin. The world showed great promise and if everything went according to his plans, then it would become a powerful tool under his authority; especially once the local population became fully part of the Empire itself. The world still needed a Moff and was still under the authority of the commander of the flotilla stationed there; which would need to change soon once the integration was complete. Since Morgan Schnee was already trying to jocky for the position, Moff Kaine seeing his ambitions right off the bat, the family would be elevated to a more important status.

"Then I am looking forward to proving to the Empire that the Schnee are ready to do their part in creating order in this galaxy, I assure you," stated the elder Schnee and the tone he used was a humbleness that Weiss knew that was not genuine at all. The young woman knew for a fact that the man was more concerned with his status than securing peace.

The man smiled in returned and it was everything for Weiss not to roll her eyes at the whole exchange; having enough sense not to. In the last four years, she had been forced to do the same thing to Imperial Military Officials on occasions when some high level party had been thrown in Atlas or a SDC function. Most of the people she dealt with from the occupying force were arrogant and stuck up, aside from a few officers, and she was forced to charm them most of the time when she had been acting as an agent for her father; especially when the SDC needed something. While the White Fang had been more or less neutralized, there were still times when her family's company had been harassed by the group not to mention the rare moment when a Grimm attack happened. Thus, her father had to make sure that there were was a stormtrooper presence at the mines and railways that transported dust to Atlas given that Remnant's various militaries had been disbanded or brought into the fold. Already, most of Atlas's troops now donned the Imperial Flag instead of the Kingdom with the other nations following suit. Even the hunters had to comply; which was causing problems under the radar.

After breakfast had been finished, the three left the apartment under full escort of the Moff's bodyguards; along with the Schnees as well. Given their importance, all the family members now had been given a bodyguard escort though Weiss insisted that she was able to protect herself given that she was a trained huntress. Outside was a military transport which took them to the testing facility only a few miles away. As they traveled, Weiss looked out the window a watched as they passed many skyscrapers that seemed to cover the planet along with other buildings; not being able to see any of the surface. If what she read was true, the planet of various levels and that the surface could not be viewed at all unless one traveled downwards. It amazed her that there was such a planet as Coruscant and she wondered if there was any other unusual planets in the galaxy; having only seen this one so far. They had come straight from Remnant so there wasn't a chance to see any other worlds; though she hoped to someday do so.

It was obvious they were approaching the testing facility given the armed military presence that was now below her; various turbo laser towers now in full view along with various patrols on the ground. There was even a tie escort that came alongside them and she could see a more in the distance that were either on patrol or doing other duties such as practice runs; judging by one of the tie variants that was not in general use that she could tell. It had a center ball cockpit like a regular tie fighter but instead of two straight wings, it had three with six viewable laser cannons; two per wing. Unlike the regular tie fighter that Weiss had seen fly over Remnant all the time, always in threes, this one looked a little less fragile and looked like it could hold its own in a fight. While there had not been any official news on the holos that Weiss had seen on the way here, she had overheard from the various officers talking that there was some sort of Rebellion going on behind the scenes. She wondered if her father had also heard that as well, maybe with his secret meetings, and that was the reason why he was pushing so hard; taking advantage of the situation for his own ends like he always did.

They landed without incident and there were a few familiar faces in the group of military officers that greeted them. While they had not been on Remnant in person, she had been at her father's side when he had talked to each of these men through the holo net back in Atlas. The Empire maintained a large military base within Atlas itself, taking over what used to be the Kingdom's military headquarters, so any official communications had to go through them. Weiss smiled and engaged in small talk, putting on the show she was supposed to do, while the group headed to one of the testing areas where things were ready for them. She did wonder if however if many of these officials got to their position through a backdoor deal or through actual combat. All while the walked; Weiss studied the environment around her and noted the constant reminders of the militarism the Empire displayed from the heavily armed guards to the art on the walls portraying various things. The lack of anything but kind of bothered the young woman, even Atlas's military had some green to it, and she did her best to ignore it given that the Empire was the new norm; something that was still a sticking point to some on Remnant.

After about ten more minutes, they were all seated overlooking a large open area protected by glass that was supposed to be weapon's proof. The ground below them was made of metal as well as everything else; which was understandable given the many weapons tests that probably went on here every day. The sky was visible and it was a clear day with the sun not yet directly overhead; though there was more than enough light to illuminate everything. The area they were in, which had plenty of seating, gave a view that one could see the entire testing ground; which was currently empty at the moment. It was long and rectangular with large doors opposite of one another though there were series of smaller entrances which were probably for maintenance or even emergency services. Overhead, there was the occasional tie fighter, probably on patrol, which was understandable since this test had to be classified pretty heavily. In fact, Remnant's existence was only known to a very few as well as the Dust that it held; understandable given the world's isolation.

"Gentleman; I want to thank all of you for coming to view this demonstration by the Schnee Dust Company of our Paladin-300. As you know, four years ago during the Battle of Beacon, this glorious Empire arrived and fought alongside brave individuals against those who wished to destroy the peace of our world. Since then, the SDC has been working tirelessly to find ways to contribute to our Emperor's New Order thus why we are here today," stated Morgan Schnee as he stood before the officials with a smile on his face. Weiss was at his side and her face was as neutral as she could muster; kind of wishing she was somewhere else.

Sitting back down, they watched as the massive mech strode onto the open ground; piloted by a tester who worked for the company itself. It looked similar to the 290 series except for a few changes only known by those who had seen the machine before. Coming out of the large double set of doors opposite of the mech was an Imperial Walker; an AT-PT piloted by an Imperial soldier. Weiss had mixed feelings on seeing the machine her company had built; remembering the rampage they caused during the Battle of Beacon and that they had hurt her friends. It slightly nauseated her that they were now using such dangerous weapons to pony up to the Empire and she had no doubt that more than a few of her classmates would disapprove greatly in that; forcing the teen to shove those thought aside. Weiss had spent the last four years burying the memories and emotions from her time at Beacon away to focus on her duties.

The two faced one another eerily and there was a silence in the arena until a loud klaxon sounded. The AT-PT let loose a series of green blasts from its single laser cannon and charged forward slowly while the Paladin jumped to the side rather quickly; dodging the fire easily. After letting the enemy machine fire a few more shots while easily dodging them, the Paladin raised its arms and fired its own cannons; the shells slamming into the durasteel armor rather spectacularly from the front. There was an explosion and the walker fell on its side with the pilot climbing out of the cockpit as fast as he could before it exploded. Weiss looked over and saw the impressed nods from the officials as well as their surprised looks. They had no doubt believed that the advanced armor and weapons of their walker was superior to whatever a planet like hers could throw at it. What they didn't realize was that Dust could do a variety of things that was alien to them; thus they had been caught off guard.

Two more walkers headed out from the same spot as the previous one; AT-STs and immediately started firing at the Paladin. The laser fire was a little faster and the mech had to make some quick moves though it got winged occasionally. Due to its dust enhanced armor though, it was ably to shake off the laser fire with minimal damage and it once again used its cannons to return fire; the walkers unable to dodge. Though the scout walkers had slightly better armor, they were unable to take the punishment and one of them crumpled over and smashed down on its right side. The other machine let loose some rockets and the Paladin ran forward at a fast pace; not only dodging the missiles but getting close to the AT-ST as well. Instead of firing its cannons again, it converted its right arm into a fist and punched the walker; leaving a large dent in the front of the machine and it falling on its back. The two pilots scrambled out of the top and ran to help their colleagues; who appeared to be injured. While there was a wait for the medical personnel to move to injured off the testing ground, Weiss could overhear her father and Moff Kaine discuss on how impressed everyone was.

When the arena was cleared of wreckage, the next phase of the testing began as old B1 battledroids entered the area and began firing at the mech; fifty of them in all and leftovers from the CIS. The small laser fire from their blasters had no effect on the Paladin and didn't even make the effort to dodge them; instead using its targeting lasers to ping each of the battledroids as they spanned out in a loose formation. Once all fifty droids were targeted by the many lasers used by the mech, it activated small anti-personnel blasters mounted on the forearms on the machine; firing short red energy fire in a semiautomatic fashion. Each shot found its mark exact and the droids began dropping like flies until there were none left. A second wave of fifty machines came at the mech again and the same thing happened; though the droids did their best to at least try and dodge this time. When the third wave appeared, the Paladin decided to switch gears and used its missile launchers on the top of the machine; firing many rockets at the swarm of droids. There were multiple explosions and pieces of scrap were spread all over the arena with small bits still on fire.

After that, the test was completed and her father beamed in pride as the Moff and the other military personnel offered him their praise. Weiss smiled also and just stood there as they talked about possible production lines and even probable idea of the SDC being able to expand their business to other parts of the galaxy; providing the Paladins to garrisons on other worlds. Given that the makeup of the mech was enhanced with dust, this meant that the SDC would be the sole manufacture and provider which would give it a pure monopoly on any future models constructed; which some were already on the drawing board. She knew that there were also plans to pull out the old models of SDC combat robots out of storage for possible use as well; given that they looked to be somewhat superior than the battledroids used here today. The young woman moved off to the side while her father talked with the men, sighing as she tried to wait patiently to head back to their apartment. There was a function tonight that they had been invited to, some sort of party involving the elite of the Empire, so she had to get ready.

She was so distracted by her thoughts; she missed the presence of Darth Vader staring at her from above.

 **Please Read and Review!**


	2. Blake

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it

 **I want to thank everyone who has become interested in this story as well as the feedback left in the reviews. Some of you were confused on some elements of the fic and I hope to slowly answer those questions in the next few chapters. As for the format of the story, the first four chapters will focus on each member of Team RWBY before giving way to the general plot where we will see more characters become involved as well as where their loyalties lie. Like I said, I appreciate any reviews you can give and feel free to let me know what you don't like about the story- though flames will not be appreciated.**

Rain erupted from the night sky.

As the trio arrived at the town, they immediately headed towards the desired location before the weather got too worse.

It was the start of the rainy season in Mistral and already the effects were starting to be felt; with many of the town's residents sealing their homes. The storms in the Kingdom had a tendency to be quite harsh and if one did not prepare their residences properly, they would get destroyed quite easily. The town, called Closco, was a medium sized place that had a mixed race population; one of the few in Remnant. The stone structures were built upon solid foundations and the roofs made of a thick oak that were maintained quite well. The town's buildings were also arranged in a rectangular shape and had a small port for airships near the edge. Unlike other towns though, this one did not have to worry about potential flooding given that it was situated on a small hill and miles away from the swamps that lined the kingdom. It also had a defensible position against Grimm, which was a rarity nowadays, and the main road to Haven was often clear of trouble; the town providing dust and food products from the fields below during the harvest season from the fields below. There was a small power station near the center that provided energy, via through dust, and various underground rivers provided all the water the place needed to be self-sufficient.

The town also had the benefit of it being uninteresting to the Empire; though the occasional Tie Fighter flew overhead for patrol. The single Dust mine within the town's borders yielded very little dust and was independent of the Schnee; which was extremely rare nowadays. Thus the town was still able to sell the product in Haven though the Empire still kept a close eye on those who purchased so they had to limit their buyers to those using it for commercial use. The only Hunters that could use Dust now had to be licensed ones by the Imperial Authorities and complete missions that fell under their supervision; whether they be against Grimm that still roamed much of the planet. Even though the Empire easily dealt with the monsters when they attacked population centers or other locations that were of interest, they could not in any way figure out how to exterminate the creatures all together. It was especially troublesome in certain parts of the planet where the environment was like another planet; though the lack of the Empire researching it was also a factor.

The trio, who were wrapped in grey-colored ponchos, kept their faces hidden as they moved slowly through the streets; even though there was a current lack of activity. Given the weather and the fact that it was late, everyone was already inside for the night and probably would have ignored the three even if it had been in the middle of the day. Even with the Imperial Forces in Haven, there was still frequent travel within the Kingdoms as trade and other business was still conducted although under the watchful eye from above. There were Stormtrooper checkpoints on the main roads and Tie Fighters often patrolled the known alternate routes that people often took in order to move illicit goods or hide from authorities. Everyone who traveled now had to have a special identification card provided from Atlas; even those who did not live there as mandated by those now in charge of the planet. There was some grumbling of course, especially from Hunters, but any defiance was met with imprisonment without charge. There were even rumors that they were now laborers in the Dust Mines as practically slaves.

Arriving at their destination, the leader of the three opened the door to a medium sized building and then they went inside.

"We're closed," said a fox-eared Faunus by the name of Sam Nosh gruffly as he placed the bottle of wine bottles on the ground and turned to face the newcomers.

The place was a winery that was also a small shop to sell to individual customers besides sipping to major outfits outside of town. There was a small counter in front of a wooden wall, with a door to the back of the place, and various colored bottles lines the walls on metal shelves. The floor was made of a white tile that was stained in some spots and there were a few wooden tables set up that had some empty glasses on them. It seemed that the shop also allowed for wine tasting given there the smell of the stuff was evident to the enhanced senses of the Faunus in the room. The shop was a frequent hangout for the most elite of the town, which preferred it more than the local pub, and the Faunus owner had capitalized on that by making sure the place was as open to them as possible. It worked that there was a lack of Faunus and Human tension in the town, a very rare thing currently, so he was able to cater to both groups without any problems coming back to him. Even when the occasional Imperial Patrol came by to check on the dust mine in town in order to make sure things were in order, they paid him handsomely for whatever he had to offer; though they did over indulge and took advantage of him.

"Even to a friend," said a wolf-like Faunus with only one ear and a smile; his face lined with age and with grey hair. Sam's eyes widened at the realization on who had just entered his establishment given that it had been years.

"Marco? I thought you were dead," Sam said out of both surprise and happiness as he went over and embraced his old friend; who hugged him back. The other two still had their faces covered as they silently watched the scene.

"That's what I wanted people to think; now I am back to correct some wrongs. Is that meeting still taking place below us?" the older man asked grimly his old friend as he eyed the door behind them.

"You left he Fang remember? Stepped down willingly to let Adam Taurus run it; why do you want to attend?" the fox-eared Faunus asked with astonishment as he simply stepped back and stared at the man. While he was no longer an official member of the organization, much less the leader, he was still a voice that had to be heard.

"Because that young punk is going to get us all killed," the man said as he simply strode past to the door; opening it while ignoring the slight protest from the owner. His two companions followed without a word; leaving Sam alone in the front.

After going through the door, they proceeded past the large wooden barrels full of wine that lined the walls; even ignoring the looks from the workers they passed. Mostly all were Faunus with a few humans in the mix and some even recognized the older man; staring at him out of a mix of shock and awe. Even after all of these years, Marco Kasangi was still known to just about every Faunus out there given his role as once leader of the White Fang, before it became militant, and as a veteran hunter. Standing at almost seven feet tall, the man was known to be a beast with a blade even though he had forsaken all forms of fighting in order to lead the Faunus race towards a peaceful coexistence with humanity; which sadly went badly. The last anyone had heard from him, he had died just after relinquishing the role of the White Fang to a younger leader; rumored to have been killed by Grimm on the way home to his place in Vale. It was said that his death paved the way for Adam Taurus to make the organization a violent one given that they started attacking the SDC just after; adding to the rumor that it wasn't the Grimm that was responsible. Those who believed that rumor had left the White Fang by then and the only ones who remained had been loyal to Adam.

Heading to the last wine barrel, the one that seemed unusually by itself in the corner wall, he pulled on the spicket and the whole part of the barrel opened up; like a makeshift door. A series of steps lead downwards and he continued along that path which his two cloaked companions following close behind; closing the door behind them. The pathway was lit and led into the rocky hill the town sat on along with the dust mine; the tunnel being one of many that ran underneath it. At the bottom were two members of the White Fang, masks and all, and they saw his approach; drawing their weapons and blocking his way. However, as young as they were, they also knew who he was and could do nothing as he shoved his way past them along with the two others behind him; the two guards confused about what to do. Continuing along a long hallway surrounded by rock that was large enough for only a couple of people, the sounds of arguing got louder as the light at the end became closer. Marco knew a few of the voices and his eyes narrowed at what was being said; his cat-like ears picking up the conversation. It seemed that he had arrived just in time to prevent something bad from happening; though it still could.

Casually, he strode into a large area where there was a gathering of many Faunus; all whom turned their eyes upon him once he entered.

"What are you doing here?" Adam Taurus demanded to know as he stood up and simply glared at the older man; hiding his surprise that the former leader was here after all these years. He never believed that he was dead and suspected that he had been out there all this time; though he never considered him a threat as well.

"I seem to recall that I had an open invitation to return at any time I wanted and that I was also allowed to offer input; so here I am," the older man said simply as he went over to grab a spare chair with the other two members of his trio stood there next to him.

The meeting room looked to be in what was once a temporary storage area for dust; though it had long been abandoned as such. The place had once been a vital part of the huge dust mine but ceased to be once all the substance in the area had dried up or become to complicated to get out of the rock with the limited resources the staff had; though the SDC could have done the job. The walls were rocky and looked to have been carved out a long time ago by heavy machinery and there were lights strung alone the ceiling, just hanging. The smell of the room was of recycled air, coming from a few vents that came from ducts that were along the walls while the ground was a lot smoother; as if it had been sanded down for easier travel. The room also had been converted to where it now housed a large circular wooden table with chairs that only filled half what it intended. Currently, there were only about ten people in attendance; besides the trio and Adam. While all had the signature White Fang mask on, Marco could sense a few familiar faces in the group but knew they were all senior members of the organization; those who were left anyways given what the Empire had done the last four years.

"But that doesn't give you the right to let this traitor be here," growled the Bull Faunus as he started to unsheathe his sword and make his way to the trio. Even though it had been four years, he could never forget HER scent.

"You are more of a traitor to our people than I ever was Adam; especially after Beacon," stated Blake Belladonna angrily as she removed the hood from her head. She then moved to a defensive stance while reaching for her Gambol Shroud; the older Faunus stepped in front of her however and raised his hand to order her to stay as she was.

"Ms. Belladonna is under my protection; which is thus allowed unless you want to break that particular rule. I can still wield weapon so don't test me," snarled the wolf Faunus as his hand went to his own weapon; a long whip-like weapon that who shed the paint off walls. While he had not used it in combat in years, he still liked to think his skill was up to snuff.

"That woman is a traitor to our cause and should be put down like the vermin she is," said a large masked Faunus; who Blake recognized as the one who wielded a chainsaw like weapon her team had faced years ago. The way he was limping and the scars on his arms, it seemed that the years had not been kind to him.

"I left the Fang to fight for those who could not defend themselves against the Grimm; whether they be Faunus or Human. I wanted to use my skills to do some good; not rob trains and kill people," the cat Faunus put forth with a sense of passion in her voice. While she was addressing the group, her eyes were only on Adam and glared at her former mentor; who was meeting her scowl with one of his own.

"And yet you were on the same team as a Schnee; a woman whose family has exploited our kind for years in their Dust Mines. You also befriended humans and forsake your heritage by hiding it with a bow," Adam reminded the group and smugly smiled as the words resonated with more than a few of the assembled; whom nodded in agreement.

"And you allied with Humans who were going to murder both races by drawing in the Grimm to the protective enclaves. Did you honestly think that Cinder Fall and those who were with her had the best interests of our kind? Was sacrificing innocent Faunus at Beacon and Vale worth the price of equality?" Blake countered as she took a step towards the Bull Faunus; though she still let their former leader use himself as a shield. She could see a few agreeing nods come her way and Adam saw it as well; thus his frown intensified.

"Cinder and her allies were a means to an end and I would have dealt with them after Beacon if the Empire hadn't shown up; a Human Empire at that," Adam pressed with an emphasis on the human part.

During the Battle of Beacon, the Galactic Empire had deployed troops suddenly on the battlefield; their transports coming from the sky onto the campus which had added to the chaos of the situation. Though small in number, their forces had fought alongside Hunters and the remaining Atlas Forces against both the Grimm and the White Fang; stormtroopers on the ground and Tie Fighters in the air. Despite their technological advantage, it was still a tough battle and the Imperial Warships in orbit had to conduct a limited orbital bombardment that razed a good chuck of the surrounding countryside. When the fighting had ceased, more forces had appeared and the people of Remnant had discovered that they were not alone in the Universe; also finding themselves with new rulers. While Blake had fought alongside the white-armored troops against the Grimm, with her carrying Yang after their run-in with Adam, she immediately grew to dislike them when they began to immediately take control.

Things started happening fast after that; which the people of Remnant had very little chance to react. Elements of the Atlas Government as well as the other elites in the Kingdom immediately offered their services to the new Imperial Overlords; the SDC chief among them. Almost all Dust mines came under the control of Morgan Schnee and the various Remnant Governments were folded into a new provisional one centered in Atlas under the supervision of an Imperial Admiral; though the kingdoms of Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo were allowed to still exist as Kingdoms on paper. All major cities had an Imperial presence though the largest one was in Atlas itself where the lone spaceport was located which allowed the ground forces to connect with the fleet in orbit. Those who had initiated the violence at Beacon were either imprisoned, executed, or forced to work at the Dust Mines as slaves; now fully allowed on the planet though never talked about or known due to an extreme censorship of the media. On the surface, everything was peaceful and people were content with the new peace though there was some silent resentment in the background by a few; mainly Hunters.

"A Human Empire that controls this planet as well as thousands more. An Empire that oppresses their kind just as much as ours but we can't exploit because you decided to turn this organization into a terrorist group in order to commit genocide; thus we are now alone because of you. Before you took over, we actually had Humans who were sympathetic to our cause and were fighting on our behalf; now we are just lucky to have anyone who is willing to protect us from being wiped out by the Empire as well as those who hate us because their racists. I know you are planning some big strike against the Empire but all that will do is get the rest of our kind murdered," the Huntress stressed to the group in an effort to turn the conversation to more important matters than her relationship with the Fang.

In fact, Blake had to admit that it was a miracle that the White Fang even continued to exist under the Imperial occupation. Ever since Beacon, the organization had been hunted constantly by the authorities with their hideouts either raided by stormtroopers or bombed by air power from overhead; not generally caring about the collateral damage. While a typical Fang member might be able to take on a regular enemy soldier in melee combat, the white armor and energy weapons were a serious obstacle that they simply just could not overcome; not to mention the vehicles the Empire brought to the field. Every raid that Adam attempted against the Empire resulted in very little damage and high casualties; thus the White Fang's numbers were quickly becoming depleted. Given that the Empire didn't take prisoners and the Faunus population too fearful of reprisals to join up, it was getting hard to replenish the ranks for Adam now. It was amazing that the Faunus weren't just exterminated altogether, especially with Morgan Schnee actively involved in the Imperial Leadership, and Blake suspected that Weiss may have had something to do with it; though they had not spoken in years.

"So what do you want us to do? Submit and become enslaved to humanity? I would rather fight on my feet than die on my knees," said one of the White Fang members from the back adamantly with many of his companions nodding in agreement. Adam just looked at Blake with a smirk on his face and a look that told her she was wasting her time.

"I agree; we do need to fight but as a united front with the humans on this planet. We also need to fight intelligently and make sure that we are not involving civilians so that the Empire does not use that against us. It would help our cause to know more about the galaxy and reach out to other worlds who are fighting against the Empire," Blake put forth to the group and that caused a stir with muttering and Adam appearing uncomfortable. She and Yang had discussed this in length before she left Patch so Blake was ready for the questions to come.

"Why should any human, both here and on other planets, want to fight against the Empire? It is there race that is in control afterall," inquired another masked Fang member; a female deer Faunus who looked rather young. It was rumored that Adam was having to promote at a faster pace because of the losses the organization had suffered lately.

"Humans here are feeling oppressed just as much as we are and it has to be that way in other parts of the galaxy as well. There is so much we simply don't know about what is going on out there that we could have potential allies; which is why we need to stop fighting for now and build up the resources so that we can fight the Empire on equal footing in some way. This is no longer about the rights of Faunus but the freedom of Remnant itself," the Beacon Huntress declared to the assembled with passion in her voice. While more than a few of her fellow Faunus looked doubtful, there were some nods of agreement as well.

"I refuse to work with any human since they could turn on us at any moment. As far as I am concerned, the White Fang will never work with those who have oppressed us for so long and you are deluded if you think otherwise my dear," Adam said to Blake firmly and an arrogance that she knew he had too well. Unfortunately for him, she had anticipated this and was ready to do what was necessary as well.

"Which is why I am challenging you for the leadership of the White Fang; our people can no longer afford to have you leading us because you will get us all killed," stated the young woman and there was a silence that immediately settled upon the room; even a few jaws dropping as well. Though she kept her face neutral and firm, Blake was smirking inwardly as the shocked look her former partner had upon his face.

"You have to be joking; you have never been a match for me and you are deluded into thinking that you can face me in combat since you ran at Beacon with your pathetic partner," Adam snarled in both amusement and annoyance. Behind his back, there was a general lack of confusion with those not sure what to think.

"That was four years ago; I am more than ready to take you on," Blake told the older man as she drew her katana and watched him do the same. Both looked like they were ready to attack one another and were about to until they were interrupted suddenly.

"A squad of stormtroopers just arrived with walkers!" announced a Fang member as he ran into the room with a shortness of breath. Everyone became alert with more than a few weapons drawn in anticipation for a fight.

"Could they be here for us?" asked one of the assembled with a slight twinge of fear in his voice and looking around at his companions.

"If the Empire knew we were here, they'd send a lot more than a squad and a few walkers. It is probably a surprise inspection. I suggest we reconvene here in two weeks and deal with this challenge," Adam stated while staring intently at Blake; who simply nodded and met his intense look with one of her own. There were nods of agreement as the group dispersed with the White Fang leader being the last to leave; surrounded by his loyal followers.

The trio of new arrivals then found themselves alone.

"Well that was intense," said Sun Wukong as he took off his own hood and went to sit down on one of the chairs; still wearing his same attire as he had back at the academy. He sounded winded despite only having to stand back and act if something had happened.

"I agree; you never told me you were planning to challenge Adam," Marco said to Blake as he sat down himself, staring at the younger Faunus woman. Though he hid it well during the meeting, he had also been caught off guard by the challenge and was still unsure what to think exactly.

"It was only as a last resort; I was hoping that Adam would see reason but I think he is too far gone with his hatred of humanity. I am sorry that I didn't tell you but I wasn't sure you would still help me if I told you," Blake admitted as she took off the poncho. Sporting a pair of black pants and a matching short shirt, it was covered by a white overcoat and a purple cape.

"I still would have but merely cautioned you on such an approach. I feel what you have planned is the best course of action though taking on Adam is no easy task and might get you killed," advised the older Faunus as he leaned back in his chair and wished that Ozpin was here. It unknown to the other two that he and the former Beacon Headmaster had been friends for a long time; Ozpin helping his disappear in the first place.

"Does Yang know about this?" Sun asked his friend, more than curious since such a reckless thing was more of the blonde's style.

"Yes; we don't keep secrets from eachother anymore," answered the cat-eared woman as she pulled out her scroll. The network was still up though under heavy supervision by the Empire in case of seditious activity. As expected, there were more than a few messages from the blonde who was back in Patch.

Blake hoped that her girlfriend was having better luck than she.

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	3. Yang

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **I want to keep thank all those who continue to track this story and am happy that it's followers increase with every chapter; also greatly appreciating the people who leave me reviews. There will be some answers this chapter on the state of things on Remnant as well as answers to questions inquired by those who left for reviews; the next one will feature Ruby so expect many revelations. Hope you enjoy and I always welcome your thoughts on this story and will start to answer reviewer questions at the beginning of each chapter starting with the next; so feel free to leave feedback.**

Yang heard the gunship even before it appeared in the sky.

As it headed towards her house, the blonde took off running in order to make it so that she could see why the Empire was playing a visit to her home.

She had just left town for some groceries and to see if there had been any mail delivered; always expecting something from her sister at some point. Carrying the small bag of stuff with her prosthetic arm, courtesy of the Imperial medical staff during the Battle of Beacon, she kept her other arm free in case there was danger; one part of her Ember Celica equipped. Even though Grimm had not been seen around the island in some time, she was always prepared just in case given the change of things. For some reason, Yang just felt naked without her weapon and made sure it was always filled with Dust rounds; though the substance was under heavy scrutiny by the Imperial Authorities. This prompted for a black market and certain criminals were now getting rich by dealing dust on the side; mined from the few places not under the control of the Schnee or smuggled out. The blonde had yet to go that far since her father had a huge supply, which he now had in hiding, so she was fine for now.

Officially, the teen was still a Huntress and a licensed one at that; having to register with the Imperial Authorities like all of them when the occupation started. Those who did not register and practiced anyways, whether by defiance or other reasons, had been locked up in one of the many secret prisons established by the Empire in the last year. No one knew where those facilities were located, though her Uncle Qrow was trying to find out, but there had been a general media blackout in regards to the population. It was licensed Hunters that went out to the remote areas to fight Grimm when they strayed too close to isolated villages; the Empire only stepping in when their places of operations were threatened. Sometimes, a squad of stormtroopers did accompany a Hunter when it was needed; though they had to answer to the Imperial Officer in charge. Yang herself had yet to go on such a mission though her father did on occasion; when they needed the money. While Taiyang still taught at Signal Academy and received an income, there were few students nowadays due to the resentment towards the Empire.

It actually had been two years since Yang had gone on official mission and even fought; the last time when she had traveled to Vacuo with Blake to run an errand. When Beacon came under the control of the Empire, her partner had found herself without a home once again; so Yang offered hers since she had to go back to Patch. The cat Faunus had taken over the guest room until their relationship grew into something more; then Blake moved into the blondes. While they were a couple in every sense of the word, they had yet to take things further until there was a bright future they could settle down in. While her father was a little weary of them sharing the same bed, he was happy for his daughter and offered to hold a ceremony anytime they wanted; which they appreciated. It was a shame that only a few would attend the ceremony given the state of things; especially those who could not attend because of their loyalties. There was so much division right now in Remnant that it had divided friend and teams down the middle; making all of them enemies of sorts.

As she sped through the forest, the sun shined through the trees and the air was cool. She had left for town early so that she could get things done before getting on her scroll to Blake; which she did every day. As much as Yang wanted to go with her girlfriend to the White Fang meeting, the blonde had her own work to do back in Patch. Since it was helpful that the island had a very light Imperial presence, a force of troops occupying one of the buildings in town as well as the skyport, it allowed her to go about contacting the ever growing network of disgruntled Hunters in Vale. Even though the Empire monitored all communications through the CCTS on Remnant for seditious activity, there were ways around that through the ordinary mail system; mostly by speaking in code. It was easier to message using encryption than speaking through the airwaves given that the authorities would have been suspicious by the awkward conversations at some point. While it was a risk to some degree, it wasn't that bad given that Yang and Blake were doing their best to not provoke the Empire through useless violence.

She had broken through the trees as the gunship landed; walking up as a small group of Imperial soldiers stepped out of it.

"The weatherman never said there would be a chance of storms appearing in the sky," the blonde said as she walked up; making a bad joke. There were four of them with two white armored stormtroopers with two black-uniformed officers with them; one of which Yang recognized as the commanding officer for the island.

"She likes to be funny; especially with the puns sir," the Lieutenant explained to the senior officer; who had a puzzled look on his face. The other two troopers just looked at one another before shaking their heads.

"Is there a problem Lieutenant Jenkins?" Taiyang asked as he came around from the back; having been practicing combat drills. He was being polite as he could despite the unwelcomed guests on his property.

The Lieutenant was the local officer in charge of the small contingent of Imperial troops on Patch; who did his best to get along with the residents. Standing tall at six feet, he had dark skin and green eyes; with brown hair under the green cap he wore; hailing from Fondor. Unlike the man next to him, Jenkins had on a dark green uniform with his insignia on left breast as well as a few medals; though he never talked about them. He was a young man and was often as friendly as he could be despite being the sole authority that governed everything relevant to security; thus all Hunters had to go through him in order to go on missions. If it weren't for the fact that he was part of the occupying army that now ruled his home, Taiyang might actually like the man and Yang thought he was cute. The force on the island was, while small, still a force to reckon with; though the Hunters that lived here could probably take the forces but with casulties. Besides the platoon of stormtroopers, there were two AT-STs and three gunships though Tie Fighter often patrolled from the mainland.

"Am I correct that you are related to Qrow Branwen and this is his place of residence?" asked the senior officer stiffly; a Major if Yang was right about reading the man's rank. Jenkins looked nervous beside the man and Yang took that as a sign that something was up and that her Uncle might be in serious trouble.

"Yes he lives here; though he isn't around right now," answered Taiyang politely though he he had a feeling that they did know where he was. There was no doubt that Qrow had enacted that plan of his but had been caught.

"We are going to search this residence for any seditious material; if we find anything, you will be placed under arrest," the Major said as he motioned for the two white-armored solders to follow him inside; making their way inside. Jenkins just stood there with the Father and daughter, trying to hide his nervousness.

"So what did he do?" the blonde man asked the Imperial officer, not happy about the fact that he soon had a mess to clean up. While he hoped that they would confine themselves to Qrow's room, it was likely they were going to tear the house apart.

"He was found on restricted territory at Beacon Academy; drunk from what I heard. The problem is that no one knows how he got in so far and believe that he could be a possible rebel," explained Jenkins as he sighed and kicked the ground; hoping that this would not cause problems in the future for him. He liked the quietness of Patch and the fact that it was such an easy posting than other rim worlds.

When the Empire took control of Remnant, they made Beacon Academy their own by establishing it as a major Imperial base; the largest outside of Atlas. Instead of young Hunters in training, it was aid that stormtroopers walked the halls along with other Imperial officers while all sorts of vehicles were scattered around the campus. Many of the training grounds had been leveled for the Tie Fighters and Bombers, as well as landing pads for Acclamators, while the main tower had been preserved as the headquarters for the senior officials; Ozpin's office now being manned by a high ranking General. The place was like a fortress now and anyone who was not a part of the Imperial Army or invited were arrested on sight if they got too close. Many of the students had been forced to go home, those who had homes to go back to, and the teachers had left for different careers; refusing to become licensed Hunters under the new Imperial Authority. As for Ozpin himself, it was believed that he was dead; only his cane had been found when stormtroopers entered the basement level. It was believed that Cinder Fall, who was one of the most wanted individuals on the planet, had killed him when she stole the maiden powers.

"Qrow probably just stumbled in by accident; he was trained in stealth combat so this is all just a misunderstanding Lieutenant," Taiyang attempted to explain as he winced at the sound of something breaking. Truthfully, he didn't think his teammate would be stupid to leave something out and even doubted that the Empire would hold the man for much longer; at least he hoped.

"Seeing his drinking habits firsthand, I agree with you; however, Major Traken disagrees and will only release Qrow Branwen if he is cleared. Once he has been released, he will be under house arrest for the next year and is not allowed to leave the island for any circumstances unless approved by the appropriate authorities," the Imperial officer explained as more sounds could be heard from the house. Jenkins was trying to express a sternness and politeness but was failing miserably.

"That is very gracious of the Empire; I'd thought he would be locked up," Yang stated offhandedly though she was glad that this was going to happen instead. For the occupiers to simply let her uncle go with a slap on the wrist was highly out of character for them and she wondered if something was up.

"He would have been if it weren't for certain individuals speaking on his behalf from the Remnant Council," said Jenkins as the Major appeared in the doorway along with the two other stormtroopers. The officer looked disappointed and motioned that they had found nothing; thus they soon left afterwards; informing that Qrow would be returned soon.

As expected, both father and daughter entered the house to find it trashed.

"So do you think Ironwood had something to do with Qrow being released?" Taiyang asked his daughter as they started cleaning. The man was clearly annoyed as he used a brook to sweep up some broken glass from one of the dishes that had gotten knocked to the ground during the search.

"Maybe; or this might be a trap. Blake said that the Imps might do something like that in order to root us out," suggested the teen as she placed some books back on the shelf. They were Ruby's and their father kept them there in case she ever decided to come home.

"That would imply that you guys caught their interest already; which you would have been arrested by now if that was the case. You've heard the same things I have and I have no doubt the Empire will arrest anyone they could; whether they had the evidence or not. Qrow needs to send a big thank you to whoever spoke up on his behalf," her father said and Yang narrowed her eyes at that; red appearing in the pupils. Taiyang knew that look and gave one of his own back at his daughter; already having this argument before.

It was Yang's opinion that anyone who cooperated with the Empire were traitors and were just as bad as they were. She was the only one however who really felt that way with even the most seditious of their group, Coco who hated the Empire for leveling her favorite stores, with some of their friends actively part of the new Government. Ever since she had lost her arm in the Battle of Beacon, she had been somewhat angry in the aftermath. There had been a huge argument that had happened between Yang and Ruby about Weiss when the Empire became in charge, the blonde accusing the Schnee of selling them out while the red-cloaked teen defended her partner; which nearly became physical. Both Taiyang and Qrow had to separate the two with neither speaking to one another for a few days; Ruby soon left afterwards with only sending postcards every now and then. The blonde only seemed to become angrier at Weiss and the rest of her friends after that; still bitter even with Blake defending them. The Faunus was of the opinion that their former teammate was responsible for the Faunus not being wiped out even though there were many in Atlas who wanted that. The Empire did see them as a possible threat though they had yet to do anything about it; which was why Blake believed there was some intervention.

It was because of that threat that Yang and Blake began organizing in secret a type of formal resistance movement against the Empire. Given that every day brought more oppression to the people of Remnant, both decided to recruit from those who had the largest grudge against the occupiers though they had to be a little careful. While Blake focused on the Faunus population and the more moderate elements of the White Fang, Yang went for the Hunters that had been greatly affected by the harsh rules the Empire now imposed upon them. At first, she thought it would be easy since more than a few chose to fight the Empire because of tradition; refusing to answer to an outside authority. However, more than a few of her classmates from Beacon had chosen to cooperate with the Empire and now worked for them; thus she had to be extra careful on who she could recruit into the cause. While Team CFVY was firmly with her, there were other teams that were on the opposite side; with some even split from within because of what happened at the Battle of Beacon. Though she had yet to talk with her girlfriend, Yang had a feeling that Blake was getting the easy part.

Qrow arrived home few hours later; escorted by a group of stormtroopers and with his arms shackled.

"Hey guys," was all that the Hunter said with a smile as the soldiers took off his shackles and then left the house; informing them that Qrow was not to leave the island under any circumstances. Taiyang just just rolled his eyes at the man and tossed him a broom so that he could help clean up the mess.

"I'd thought I told you that sneaking to Beacon was a really stupid idea" Taiyang stated, sounding annoyed and looking outside to make sure no one was watching. While there was a chance that an Imperial Probe Droid could be watching, there was no sign of one since they were kind of hard to miss; especially for Hunters.

"You did; I just believed that it could be done," Qrow simply said with a shrug as went to pull out his flask; finding it gone and still in Imperial Hands.

"And you got arrested it and put yourself as well as others directly in the Imperial crosshairs; nice job," the man said dryly as he gave his daughter a look to wipe the smirk off her face; which she did. Even Qrow was no longer smiling since he knew that look to be that his teammate was really ticked off at him.

"It had to be done; I needed to see if Oz's secrets were still safe from our new overlords," said the dark-haired Hunter seriously; referring to the deceased Headmaster's hidden cache of information and other things.

"Are they?" Yang inquired as she threw some glass away into the trash; knowing very little about the subject. She knew from her Uncle that her former teacher had a treasure trove of information on just about everything at Beacon; just not sure as to what.

"Yeah; seems the Empire hasn't gotten around to looking through Ozpin's coffee storage room in the basement; boarding over it to make room for a weapons room. I just happen to know the back way into it," explained Qrow as he took a seat once the cleaning was done while Taiyang went to get some tea. He brought a cup for both his teammate and daughter; then sitting down at the other side of the table.

"So what's Beacon like now?" the blonde asked steadily; almost afraid to hear the answer. Even though the time there was brief, being at the school was one of the best experiences of her life.

"It's a damn military base with all their war machines all over the place; some that make those walkers in town look small. The forest has been removed surrounding the place with nothing but empty ground where they once stood. They have these four-legged things called AT-ATs patrolling the outer perimeter while there are lines of Tie Fighters where the dorms once stood; not to mention the spaceport they built on top of the gardens Ozpin had set up to help students relax. There were rows and rows of stormtroopers all over the place; walking all uniformed like they were in a military parade of some sort. The tower is still there along with the clock but it's overshadowed by all the troops and other stuff; not to mention that large warship that hovers over the school," answered Qrow bitterly; looking very angry. For a second, there was a flash of red in his eyes and Taiyang was afraid he'd blow up like his sister did when they were younger.

"Well we'll just have to clean it all up when we throw the Empire out," Yang stated in a confidant tone; as if it were going to actually happen. Both the father and uncle looked at one another with slight doubt; knowing that it wasn't going to be all that easy.

"Heard some interesting things too while they had me imprisoned; some pretty useful. Seems your teammate and her dad are off planet at the Imperial Capital; some place called Coruscant which is pretty far from here. It sounded like Papa Schnee is trying move up the food chain so he can be the one to rule the planet in the Empire's name," informed the Hunter casually and Yang narrowed her eyes at that; her own eyes flaring red.

"Weiss is my Ex-Teammate," said the blonde rather forcibly while she slammed her mug down a little too harshly.

"Weiss is your Teammate still; she just happens to be on another side right now," Qrow pointed out before Taiyang could. A while ago he believed what Yang believed on the subject of fellow Hunters joining the Empire once it was clear they were now in charge; that was before his younger niece left however thus his opinion now had changed.

"The wrong side," Yang countered bitterly as she clenched her fist angrily; feeling a sense of betrayal. A voice in the back of her mind was saying that she was acting irrational but she ignored it.

"What else did you hear?" Taiyang inquired in order to change the subject. That particular argument had broken the family and he did not want to cause further damage so that it could be healed someday.

"Seems the Empire is taking more action against Cinder's people while abandoning all operations against Salem in the Badlands; finally getting some sense that using force against the Grimm was a bad idea. Apparently, they've been rooting out all of the Fallen Maiden's agents in the Kingdoms as well as their hideouts in the countryside," the dark-haired Hunter mentioned with a slight smile; taking a sip of his tea. He'd get something hard to pour into it but knew better in front of his teammate.

"So there actually doing something right for a change; that's nice. Maybe we get lucky and they wipe themselves out," stated Yang with a dry laugh even though it was hardly a joke. While it was nice to see their enemies fighting, the trio was still unconvinced on who was the bigger threat despite the Imperial Occupation.

"What do you think Salem will do? I doubt that the Queen of the Grimm is going to stand idly by and do nothing while she is isolated in her Kingdom," Taiyang asked his friend both out of curiosity and slight worry. Though the Empire was the main problem at the moment, it was still not the main threat to the rest of Remnant.

Both he and his daughter had come to know about Salem in the aftermath of the Battle of Beacon; informed by Qrow himself when it became apparent that Cinder Fall was working for someone all along. At first, it was believed that Cinder had been an advance scout of the Empire; creating chaos so that they could arrive and look like the heroes. That idea went out the window when Cinder and her allies became hunted by the Imperial Forces as well as because of the revelation coming from one of the few individuals who knew what had been going on behind the scenes in the first place. From what Qrow actually knew, Salem had been around for a real long time and had been guiding the Grimm in their war against the people of Remnant; whether they be Human or Faunus. She was the one who provided Cinder with the ability to steal the Fall Maiden's powers and had been planning to snuff out the Kingdoms using fear as well as mistrust between them; shaking up the peace that had lasted a century. He also revealed that Ozpin was also older than he looked and had been fighting her all this time; recruiting agents like himself in the secret war. While it was believed that the Headmaster was dead; it always seemed to Yang that her Uncle believed differently.

As for Salem, she resided in an area of Remnant called the Badlands; a place that was rich in black crystal like structures and desolate of any life. It was located on the farthest west point from the Kingdoms and its borders were pretty well defined; which is why no one ever traveled there given the dangers. Not only were there hordes of Grimm that wandered the place but types that few Hunters had ever fought let alone survived; though they were restricted to the place for some unknown reason. The place was said to contain such a negative energy that it eclipsed the greatest of purity; snuffing out joy and other types of positive emotions. The Empire along with Atlas forces launched an invasion of the place a year after the occupation; planning to get rid of the Grimm for good. The various battles led to mass casualties and wrecked machines that each invasion was forced back by the Grimm. Even with the pounding by the Imperial Ships in orbit that razed the surface before the troops went in, they just could not reduce the creature's numbers thus the new plan was pure containment.

"She'll use all this to her advantage; like she has always done. That is why we have to be careful in this resistance movement being created; we can't let Salem use the negative emotions to make herself more powerful," cautioned the Uncle to his older niece; making the same point he had constantly before. While he and Taiyang advised Blake and Yang, the two Huntresses were the real ones in charge of creating the first organized resistance to the Empire on Remnant.

"Maybe Ruby will stop her; she could be trying to do that now," remarked Yang quietly and a little sadly. Pushing her sister away was her biggest regret, while still blaming others for it, and she wished she was here now.

"Ruby's got her own path to follow; she'll return home someday," said her father confidently while giving Qrow a dark look. He had been against his daughter learning the truth about things and partially blamed that for the teen leaving; though he understood.

Afterall, Ruby was her Mother's daughter and had the same legacy as Summer Rose.

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	4. Ruby

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **I want to continue to thank all those who are following this story and leaving reviews; it is because of you that drives me to try and update each week. Also, I will not be having the Hunters of Remnant be Jedi though I will have a connection to the Force; which will be revealed in the next chapter when I bring back some familiar faces. After that, we will go into the plot a little more as our four heroes cope with a upcoming event that is about to take place on Remnant. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter and your opinion of how I portrayed Ruby; if I need to work on her a little more.**

Ruby huddled behind the dune as the Deathstalkers just stood there.

There were three of the Grimm and they seemed to be just resting; having not sensed the Huntress just yet.

She had ordered the caravan to stop and wait for her signal to start moving again; the transports not too far away. She wanted to be as close to the Grimm as possible since she had long mastered the art of masking her emotions, a gift of her lineage, thus she was able to sneak up on her prey without them noticing her first. While they were nowhere near the main road to Vacuo, the creatures could still attack the caravan so Ruby decided to go at them first. Since she was the lone protector of the convoy, full of Dust and Food for the city, the people listened to her without any fuss so it made her job easier. Of course she was more than a match for the Grimm and would be able to dispatch them easy even if she hadn't sensed them first, but there would possibly been collateral damage when she used her full power. So taking them on when they were isolated and not ready for her was the best option before continuing on to the city; where she would go onto another job.

The caravan had left the town of Solace a week ago and traveled alone the main road; stopping at the various Imperial checkpoints along the way. Unlike the other Kingdoms where there was an Imperial presence almost every thirty miles along the main roads, it was a little sparser when it came to Vacuo; due to the harsher climate. While there were towns in the desert Kingdom, they were really few in number and everything seem to center around the main city itself; thus that was where to go in order to do business. Since the Empire was unwilling to have patrols to keep the main roads here safe from the Grimm that still roamed the desert, people who traveled by land still hired Hunters for escort; even hiring ones under the table whom refused to register with the new rulers of the planet. When it came to those circumstances, the Hunter would leave the caravans before the stormtroopers inspected them or tried to blend in with the workers; which often happened with no issues since the Empire wasn't interested in rogue Hunters but smugglers of Dust.

Ruby herself had been hired back in Haven; having arrived in the city for work. Spending all that time out in the wilderness training had dried up her funds so she needed the money. When she first left home on her own, the teen had taken all the money she had though her father had sent word that he would help her in any way he could financially. While Ruby was more than grateful for the support, she wanted to make it on her own since her goals were her own; not wanting to involve anyone. After her first few months of fighting Grimm out in the boonies where the Empire didn't bother going, she had come to one of the local towns to purchase supplies when she first encountered Imperial soldiers since Beacon. They had spotted her Crescent Rose and her supply of Dust, pulling her aside for questioning. The teen had been worried that she was going to be arrested and was preparing to fight her way out; even risking becoming a fugitive like her enemies. While their white armor and energy weapons looked intimidating at first, she believed she was more than capable of kicking their butts in a fight.

That was when she had found out that not only was she a registered Huntress with the Empire, but as high up on the classification as well that came with a few perks such as the fact that she could get any type of Dust she needed without restriction or even having to pay for it. The Empire left her alone after that and Ruby was more than curious on who went to all that trouble to help her out; finding out some time later that it was Weiss. It appeared that the white-haired Schnee had gone to great trouble to make sure Ruby could survive in this new Remnant and still do what she always wanted; to become a Huntress like her mother. It also seemed that Weiss knew the other thing Ruby wanted and tried to make it that she didn't have to worry about the Empire getting in her way. To say that warmed her heart was an understatement; it gave her hope once again and proved that Yang was wrong.

Even though they had been separated since the Battle of Beacon, her partner still cared and was watching her back.

Moving closer to the deathstalkers, she activated her Crescent Rose's scythe form and prepared to lunge at them; planning to take out the bigger one first. Unlike the scorpion-like creatures in Vale, these ones matched the color of the sand; thus were able to blend in better with the environment in order to ambush their prey. They also tended to have a harder shell with extra sharp claws to attack their opponents; not to mention the yellow stinger at the end of the tail that was just as deadly. In preparation of the battle, Ruby had equipped her weapon with armor-piercing rounds; a new stronger type that just came out a few months ago. While she had yet to use them herself, she had learned through the various scuttlebutt in the local bars that they had been developed by the SDC for the Imperial Huntsman on the planet; those Huntsman who had signed on to fight for the Empire. This gave her a sense of confidence since she knew that Papa Schnee was giving out the best for the planet's new rulers so there was no chance of a defective product. It also helped that these particular rounds were the newest batch on the market.

Lining up the rifle part of her weapon, Ruby aimed for the stinger of the larger deathstalker; taking a cue from her old friends back during initiation. When it was in her sights, she pulled the trigger and there was silent popped as the dust round left the barrel and was flung across the sant towards its target; hitting it exactly. The stinger fell onto the creatures head and it let out a loud scream as it flung about in pain; snapping it's pinchers at the same time. The other two small deathstalkers immediately started looking for the threat and Ruby fired off a few more rounds; shooting off a few of their limbs to further incapacitate them. While they were all distracted with their loss, Ruby gripped her scythe and rushed at them in a fury of rose pedals; going for the biggest one first. She once again caught the thing completely by surprise and swung the blade of her weapon right at its head; cutting into one of the creature's eyes. It backed off with a roar before swiping at her with its right claw, which she dodged, and Ruby countered by slicing it off completely.

She jumped into the air as a stinger crashed down right where she had been standing; coming from one of the smaller deathstalkers. Leaving a trail of rose pedals in her wake, she came around the monster and sliced at the tail while the stinger was still in the sand; taking it off like she was cutting butter. She then jumped back down and came down hard on the head in a stabbing like attack; firing off a round to propel herself upwards as it fell down dead from the hole it not had. As the thing dissolved like all Grimm did when they died, Ruby went for the other smaller one as it went at her with its pinchers; bringing the end of her scythe up and firing off a few more rounds at point blank range. Since it was a weaker one, the shots tore into the deathstalker's head and the thing blew apart without much trouble; pieces of it going everywhere. With the smaller ones taken care of, Ruby moved to finish off the remaining Grimm as it tried to go at her with its remaining claw. With a smile, she moved in a blue and swung down until she was slicing into its head once again. Practically cutting it down the middle, the monster fell to the grown and died.

She was proud of herself as she wiped the sweat from her brow; the heat starting to get to her as the sun beat down upon her body. Not too long ago, it would have taken her more of an effort to take down a single deathstalker; let alone three. Being out on her own these last few years had given her the ability to train and focus on making herself stronger; setting her sights on a more bigger prey than the Grimm. Ruby also did her best to hone the abilities that came from her linage as a silver eyed warrior; discovering something new every day. Other than being able to make herself invisible to the Grimm, she was able to enhance her semblance that allowed her to move faster and even travel great distances in no time. She was also able to call upon a power that could cover her prey in a light that seemed to wipe away the darkness; though it still took an effort to do so and at a great cost to her aura. She vowed to save that particular ability as a last resort in case she ever found herself surrounded by Grimm; which did happen often but not at too dangerous levels. These days, she had to go looking for the creatures though they still roamed in large numbers; just away from the cities where the Empire had their war machines ready to fight them off. With the enemy defeated, the teen made her way back to the caravan that was patiently waiting for her.

"We can go on; I took care of the Grimm," Ruby told the caravan leader; a large burly man by the name of Hopkins. He was covered in a grey robe from head to toe which protected him from the heat.

"My thanks Huntress; it'd be nice if our new overlords would do something about these stragglers but good luck there," the large man said as the teen got in the back of one of the trucks. While he was being sarcastic on the last part of the statement, he was genuinely appreciative of Ruby's efforts to keep them all safe.

As the convoy began to move again, Ruby did her best to get some respite though she still focused on any Grimm in the area; none being sensed. The caravan was made up of trucks, eight in all, which were filled with product to sell in Vacuo; Ruby having to sit with a few crates of dust and food next to her. The crates were specially built for the trip and were kind of like micro refrigerators to keep the perishables fresh while the dust was packed in crystal form in large wooden crates. Next to the teen was a duffle bag full of her things as well as a backpack to carry her own supply of dust and ammo; her spare clothing in the larger bag. Ever since she had left home all that time ago, Ruby never stayed in the same place for too long; always traveling between areas as she trained. Even when she was out in the middle of nowhere fighting Grimm, it was never in one place for too long though she did encounter the occasional fellow Hunter; whether they be Imperial or freelance but still registered. When she signed on for protecting this convoy, it was out of desire to visit the desert kingdom to see what it had to offer; never had been to Vacuo before. The one thing she had not been prepared for was the heat; thus she was glad that her attire was kind of suited for the new environment.

Ruby's outward appearance had changed in the last four years; more so now that she was on her own. Her battle dress, a mix of red and black, was a little shorter now and came down to cover her chest; almost like a makeshift corset. While she still had the red robe on from before, it had seen better days and was torn in places; becoming like that from her fights with various forms of Grimm. Her hair was longer now too, down past her shoulders though she was wearing in a ponytail currently; almost like Weiss back when they had been attending Beacon together. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to get it cut short like she had before; as if Ruby didn't want to be reminded of her childhood. The world had changed so much for her in four years that she felt that the best days were behind her; thus all she had was to focus on the future. Maybe once her goal was completed and the person she wanted dead was gone, she'd hang up her scythe and go home; though unsure she really wanted to do that. Given the way things had been between her and Yang before she left, Ruby wondered if she could ever go back to Patch.

She must have dozed off because her eyes suddenly opened when she felt the truck lurch to a stop. Sensing no Grimm in the area, the teen concluded that they had arrived at their destination so she got out from behind the vehicle to gaze at Vacuo for the first time. What caught her by surprise was that the workers and Hopkins had also gotten out and were staring at the city as well. Vacuo had been built on the side of a large mountain and was entirely self-sufficient; with underground rivers flowing underneath the city which helped grow some crops that could stand the desert heat. Over the years, the city had grown outward from the stone-cut buildings in the mountain itself to modern ones that extended outwards towards the desert. When the residents couldn't move anymore into the desert itself, they had built a massive stone wall that encircled the city to protect itself from Grimm and other enemies. There was a small airport on one of the flat cliffs on the mountain for airships and old watch towers to watch for possible threats. The Hunter school was located in the older district of the city from Ruby had heard from Sun when they had last talked just before the Battle of Beacon.

However, what had caught the newcomer's attention was the dagger-shaped Imperial Warship that lay hovered over the city itself.

"I take it that is something new?" Ruby asked the caravan leader as she noted his jaw dropping slightly. She herself was surprised since this was the first time she had seen the massive vessels that allowed the Empire to travel the stars; only hearing about them from random conversations between stormtroopers.

"Over Vacuo? Yeah; the last time I saw one of those things was when there was one in the sky over Atlas when they were dropping off their forces," answered the man as motioned for the men to get a move on. Ruby nodded but couldn't take her eyes off the thing; it casting a dark shadow over the city.

"Do you think there is a problem?" one of the men asked; the driver of their vehicle from what Ruby could tell. She heard the worry in his voice and was slightly nervous herself; not wanting to wind up in the middle of something.

"No; probably just making their presence known. The Imps like to show off their toys to us locals to remind us who is now in charge; so this is more than likely all for show. It does look like they are dropping off something seeing those transports in the sky," remarked the older man as he climbed back inside the passenger side door while Ruby headed back to her spot. She had also observed the smaller vessels moving back and forth between the city and the warship.

It was another ten minutes before they reached the main gate of the city; two massive tall metal doors that were currently open. In front guarding the entrance was a mix of Vacuo security personnel along with Imperial stormtroopers; standing near the four AT-STs that had their weapons trained on the convoy of trucks as they approached. Stopping in front of the force, Hopkins and Ruby got out and waited for the troops to approach; presenting their paperwork for inspection. They had been a little hostile to Ruby at first, noting her Crescent Rose which she had out, but quickly became polite once they scanned her documentation. Once the trucks were inspected and cleared, the caravan made their way into the city to one of the warehouses owned by Hopkins. After thanking Ruby for her help, she was paid and the teen made her way to the city itself. She planned to see the sights for a few days and then make her way to the administrative buildings to see if there were any Grimm hotspots that the Empire didn't bother with. While the warship was intimidating, it did provided a nice escape from the sun with the shadow it cast. Feeling a little thirsty, Ruby made her way to the closest inn and hoped they served something other than alcohol; perhaps milk if she was lucky.

"Hello; I'd like to rent a room," Ruby said as she entered one of the older buildings, which she could tell since it was made of stone, walking up to the front desk. The woman who was stationed there looked up from her book and smiled at the new arrival; though it looked a little fake.

"You're in luck since we have a few available; how long are you planning to stay?" asked the older woman as she began to type into her computer to see what rooms were available. Granted they were hardly booked given the time of year but she decided to check anyways.

"I'm not sure; can I make it a week for now?" inquired the teen as she looked into her small purse to see what she had on her. Ruby had both lien and Imperial credits just in case the inn took either; enough to get her by for a while.

"That's fine; here is the key to your room and we do have a bar that serves food in case you are hungry," informed the innkeeper as she took Ruby's money and then handed her the key. The teen smiled as she took it and then grabbed her stuff to head down the hall.

The inn was larger than she thought and seemed to encompass the entire building and did not share it with anything else. While the walls were made of stone, the floors were of a wood she did not recognize, probably imported though, and the halls were pretty narrow. Arriving at her room, she unlocked the door and stepped inside; seeing that it was a pretty good size. There was a single bed on the far wall, a small dresser next to the door that faced the bed, a window next to that, and a night stand next to the bed with a lamp on top as well as a cheap clock. There was a closet on the other side of the door and a bathroom; which had a toilet, a sink, and a tub with a shower nozzle. There were a couple of towels on the rack next to the tub as well as some complimentary soap and shampoo; which Ruby was thankful for since her supply was running low. The bed had a white quilt, pillow, and bottom sheet while there was a brown carpet the lined the floor. The walls were free of any décor though there were blinds covering the window next to the bed; which were closed. There was a television on the dresser with a remote next to it which Ruby might use since it had been forever since she had watched anything. After putting her stuff away, she locked up and made her way to the bar to get something to eat; her Crescent Rose on her hip.

The bar was pretty good size as Ruby stepped into it with only a few patrons inside. The room itself was spread out with tables and there was a front area where she could get something to eat as well as to drink. Most everything was made of room and the stone walls that lined it had various paintings as well as other décor; mostly for show than anything else. There was a fan overhead that was blowing air while there was an absence of light coming from the windows; blocked out still by the warship. There were a few televisions on with various programs though everything was on mute; though people still seemed to be watching. One thing that caught her attention was that all the patrons seemed to be clustered on one side of the room with their backs to a particular person. They all had glasses of some type of drink, probably alcohol, and were silently whispering to one another; though they seemed to be ignoring Ruby. As she walked up to the bar and ordered something, a cheap sandwich with a glass of milk, she eyed a single individual sitting alone in the corner.

After getting a good look at him, the teen made her way to where he was sitting since she was more than curious.

"Do you mind if I sit?" Ruby asked politely as she faced the man; who was sitting at a six person table. He eyed her as if he was studying the Huntress before answering and almost said no; instead motioning her with his cup to sit.

"Thank you; in all honesty, I've never seen a stormtrooper without his helmet on," the teen told the man as she sat down in front of him. The dark-skinned man raised an eyebrow and slightly chuckled; also noting the weapon at her side.

"Not a stormtrooper lassie; don't put me with those amateurs," the man stated as he took a sip of his tea. He ignored the stares the other patrons were giving them; though they did not seem to be too hostile.

"I'm sorry but your armor says otherwise; though I have yet to see any Imperial Soldier in that particular attire," the Huntress said as she bit into her sandwich; which was ham and cheese. It wasn't bad despite the price though her dad always made the best ones back home.

"That's because I am wearing the armor of an Arc Trooper," the man simply said though it wasn't hostile; becoming curious about the person in front of him. He had a feeling on what she was though he couldn't be completely sure because of her own look as well as her age.

"Then you are not with the Empire?" Ruby asked, now slightly confused. She was caught off guard when the man chuckled and took another sip of his drink.

"No lassie; I was a soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic and part of the 435th Company that fought in the Clone Wars. That was when the Empire had been the Republic and Emperor Palpatine had been Chancellor," the individual informed her and Ruby nodded though the man was saying things she couldn't understand.

Standing at a little over six feet, the man was dark-skinned and was bald; having a few visible scars on his face. He was wearing white armor, that was similar to a regular stormtrooper, and it had shades of blue on it; also looking like it had been in a number of battles by the various marks on it. The helmet lay on the table in front of her and she could see that he had a blaster rifle leaning on the wall next to where he was sitting; in grabbing distance. On his hip was a blaster pistol and he had a medium bag next to him that Ruby presumed to be the rest of his things. She wondered if he was staying at the inn until she spotted the room key on the table in front of him that looked similar to her own. Another thing he had was what looked like some sort of jet pack on the floor opposite from the bag; though Ruby couldn't be completely sure. It matched the ones she had seen on television when she had been a kid; used in cartoons.

"Ruby Rose," greeted the teen, extending her hand with a smile; hoping he would take it. She was still curious about the man and kind of wanted to know why he was here on Remnant.

"Nix," greeted the clone trooper in return; taking her hand and shaking it while smiling as well.

"Just Nix?" inquired the Huntress; surprised by the lack of a last name since everyone else had one.

"Just Nix; don't have a last name. I have to say that you are not what I was expecting; as in what I was thinking of what a Hunter of this planet looked like," remarked Nix as he studied the woman in front of him.

"What were you expecting?" Ruby asked, wanting to know what he meant like that. She was still curious on why he was here in the first place given that he was not part of the Empire that now occupied this world.

"I don't know; just not someone with such casual attire though that weapon of yours does looking interesting," stated the man, eyeing the thing. Ruby smiled and grabbed her Crescent Rose from her hip and activating its scythe form.

"I heard your weapons transform here; is it also a gun?" Nix wondered as he studied the thing and noted the barrel at the end. The material he had studied on the way here had some information on the Hunters and their weapons; though there had been no visuals.

"Yep; a sniper rifle and she is called Crescent Rose," Ruby informed Nix as she offered him to hold it; finding that she trusted him for some reason.

"Wow, this is heavier than I thought; you have some pretty good upper body strength for someone of your stature," observed Nix as he found he had to almost hold the weapon with two hands while Ruby was able to use one. He handed the thing back to her and she put it back into its gun form on her hip.

"All of us Hunters are in great shape; I also built it from scratch. If you don't mind me asking, why are you on Remnant if you are not part of the Empire?" she asked, not being able to hide her curiosity. Nix seemed to nurse his drink as if he were contemplating on answering her question; then looking her in the eye and speaking honesty.

"I was a soldier and a damn good one too; though I lost most of my brothers in the war. After the Empire was established and the war over, I was brought to Carida to train new recruits from the regular population. After they were done with me and my other brothers, we were given discharge papers though I couldn't see myself in civilian life. I also didn't want to waste my time fighting insurgents that had once been the people I fought to protect so when I heard about this world and the monsters called Grimm; I signed up to be an Imperial Huntsman when they were recruiting back on Coruscant. So here I am," answered the former soldier truthfully; finding it funny that it had been that simple. He was still amazed that it had only been a month ago that he was on the Imperial Capital looking for something to do when a former friend of his had told him about this gig.

"I can relate; even though the Empire chased most of the Grimm away from the cities, I still wanted to be a Huntress so I left home to further my training and accomplish my goal," Ruby told the man, also being truthful. It was actually more complicated than that though she wasn't about to talk about it.

"You don't sound angry with the Empire; most people here seemed to resent them though I can't say I blame them," stated the clone trooper; remembering the looks from the residents of the city when he came down from the Imperial Star Destroyer above the city.

"I really don't have much of an opinion of them in all honesty; though I also see why people here don't like them. My partner and best friend Weiss is a part of the Imperial Government here while my sister hates the Empire; as well as her partner too. I think I just have bigger priorities than them right now and will deal with my feelings on the matter when my goal is accomplished," Ruby told Nix as she finished the last her sandwich and then washed it down with the milk. There was also the fact that some of her friends were also with the Empire now; though for their own reasons than loyalty to the new authority.

"And what is your goal?" Nix inquired as he saw on how moodier she had become; curious on why a young woman would be willing to ignore the new reality around her. Her intensity almost reminded him of a few brothers back during the Clone Wars.

"To kill the woman who murdered my mother; a monster by the name of Salem,"

 **Please Read and Review!**


	5. Friends&Revelations

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **I am sorry this chapter took so long but I was divided on how I was going to do the format of it; in other words, do two complete chapters or one massive one. Since I promised all of you revelations, I went for the longer one which is why it is a 10k+ word chapter. This update will feature heavy Legends material that will tie many things to Remnant; explaining how Remnant is related (or not related) to the Force. I really would appreciate reviews on what I did in this chapter since I am curious to what you think of my reveals; if it works or needs refinement. I am happy that I finally finished this chapter in time for RWBY Volume 4 which comes out Saturday; all ready to watch it as soon as I rise from bed. As for the next chapter, it goes back to Weiss and will feature more Imperial Characters from the Old EU; not to mention her run in with a certain Sith Lord.**

The stormtroopers were checking their weapons.

As they prepared for the mission, the platoon of soldiers was gathered in the armory of the warship in orbit.

They had just been assigned a mission by the Admiral in charge of the fleet over Remnant; one that would require a full on assault on an enemy stronghold. Part of the 673rd Rapid Response Legion, they were trained to hit targets in a hard but quick manner; sporting the firepower for any type of engagement. They were designed to be the first on the battlefield, blasting in from orbit, to hit their targets hard and hold the line until the regular forces arrived Their Legion was an old one; dating back to when the Clone Wars first began and were one of the few mixed that served in the Grand Army of the Republic with both Clones and regular troops that hailed from Coruscant. Currently, this particular platoon no longer had any Clones serving in it; the last one dying three years ago on another mission in the Outer Rim against insurgents. While all of them were human, they were also from different backgrounds as well as different worlds in the Empire; though all were from the Core Worlds.

The platoon had arrived on Remnant over a year ago; participating in missions to root out criminal elements that had operated before the Empire had taken over. While there wasn't any major insurgency against the Empire from the general population of the planet, not even demonstrations against Imperial rule from any city or town, there was still the threat of Cinder Fall's organization, the White Fang, and the Grimm themselves. While their specific unit never had the chance to strike at the Badlands like other units of the Imperial Army, they had engaged Grimm in other hotspots on the planet when no other force could be spared. They were fortunate that they had no casualties when facing the monsters though there had been serious injuries at times. While fighting the White Fang and other criminal forces were nothing new to the platoon, fighting the Grimm had forced them to adapt to new tactics when facing the creatures. Thus every engagement required heavy firepower and constant dodging depending on what type of Grimm they faced.

"Are your people ready for the mission Sargent?" asked an Imperial Lieutenant as he entered the armory and headed straight to the group.

"Yes sir," answered Master-Sargent Russ Abram with a polite tone and nod as he stood at attention while the rest of his men prepared themselves. While the officer was dressed in an Imperial Navy uniform, the soldiers were all in standard white-armored stormtrooper attire; though the Sargent was the only one without a helmet on.

"Where is the Hunter attached to your unit?" inquired the Lieutenant as he looked around; not seeing the younger man in the armory. He expected the Remnant native to be with the rest of the platoon readying for the mission.

"Probably onboard the transport already; he has his own equipment so he doesn't really need to be with us during this phase of preparedness," informed the stormtrooper as he caught the frag grenade belt from one of his subordinates; wrapping it around his waist.

At almost thirty years of age, the Master-Sargent had been with the Legion ever since he had lied about his age and joined up during the middle part of the Clone Wars. Though he had started off as a scrawny kid, the man was now burly with butch black hair and a scraggly face; also having green eyes and a light complexion. Coming from the slums of Coruscant, the man lost his family at a young age and had been living on the street; until he was inspired to join the new Army of the Republic after watching an inspirational speech from then Chancellor Palpatine. He had risen through the ranks and was rumored to be in line for a promotion at some point for a formal officer; though he did not have the ambition for it. Though he was a good leader, the man desired to be on the front lines with his men rather than giving orders from the rear; though he knew how to play the game when it came to the politics of his superiors. He preferred fighting with a blaster rifle though he had a couple of blades on his belt in case of melee fighting.

"I see; I understand he's been with your unit for a while and that must have been an interesting adjustment," commented the Imperial Officer; both offhandedly and slightly curious. He usually spent his time aboard the ship and had yet to meet an actual Hunter until the platoon arrived a day ago.

"They're just soldiers like us; plus he is handy to have on the battlefield," said the Sargent as several of his men exchanged glances. As far as they were concerned, the Hunter was a part of their platoon even though he was simply attached for diplomatic reasons.

"I'll take your word for it; the transport leaves in about thirty minutes and will follow the fighter support. I will be briefing you from the ship so keep your communications line open," ordered the Lieutenant as he handed Abram a datapad and walked off. The Sargent saluted formally and looked over the pad before completing his task.

"I'll go see the kid; meet us on the transport in about ten," ordered the Sargent as he headed away from the rest of the platoon. They went back to their tasks though each of them nodded in compliance out of respect.

The Command Ship of the fleet above Remnant was large enough to have several armories; though theirs was located conveniently near the hanger. As he walked the halls with his helmet on, he passed personnel and other stormtroopers; saluting when needed and giving polite nods to his peers. While the regular troops of the ship wore standard white armor, his was stripped with patterns of blue and green; a color scheme going back to the days of when the unit was still a Republic one. Though the Imperial logo was marked on the shoulders, there were other markings on his armor that displayed various battles he had taken part in; as well as the other men in his platoon who had served just as long as he had. It was common for the members of the 673rd Legion to show where they had been, even the new recruits, and they wore those markings with pride. It was one of the things that set them apart from the other Legions of the Empire; especially those that had been folded into the favorites of some Moff for political purposes than what they had been originally intended for. It was fortunate that the 673rd still followed the overall orders of the Imperial Command; thus they could stay out of the political crap for the moment.

Arriving in the main hanger, the man walked up to one of the Imperial transports that were being prepped for launch. A _Sentinel-_ class landing craft, the ship had its back hanger open and had been in service to the platoon for a few years now; a makeshift home of sorts. Other Imperial vessels lie all over the hanger as well as Tie Fighters that were overhead; a few being prepped for the mission as well. A shield separated the hanger from the empty space outside; the glow of Remnant's moon being seen from within. Technicians and other naval personnel worked around him as he passed, ignoring the stormtrooper as they worked. Walking up the ramp, he nodded to the technicians of the craft and headed to the back where the Hunter liked to frequent when he came into orbit to participate on missions with the unit. Though the Hunter had been with them for over a year and was considered an honorary member, they never actually have been to his place; though they did know it lie somewhere in Vale. Nearing the usual part of the craft where the Hunter liked to gather, he spotted the young man holding a photo that he carried everywhere; staring at it like he always did.

"We're to be briefed in midflight and will be leaving in a few Jaune," said Sargent Abram said to his friend as he stood there and watched as the Hunter put away the old photo. The blonde nodded and took a deep sigh as he mentally prepared himself for the mission.

It had been a long four years for Jaune Arc since his days back at Beacon Academy; his innocence dying during the Vytal Festival. While he still sported his facial features, his blonde hair was now shorter and a little more butch. He wore white armor similar to the other stormtroopers but with differences such as an enhanced material that was made up of Dust and alloys native to Remnant. He still had his sword, which he still used in battle, but also used a pistol that fired Dust bullets; the make being the same model carried by General Ironwood. His shield was different though and was a blend of his old one combined with Pyrrha's; created by the SDC a few months after the occupation began; also larger for better protection. When he fought with the platoon, his demeanor was always serious; even during his off time in between missions. Though he did go drinking with the rest of the men on occasion, he never really talked though his story was known to a few in the unit. One thing that Sargent Abram was concerned about was the young man's anger; which did come out in battle during the various heats of the moment.

After he had been rescued from the pod by Imperial Stormtroopers, Jaune had come to learn about the death of his partner Pyrrha Nikos a few days later. It was then that any real outward joy had vanished from the young man and he had been consumed by one real desire; revenge. Along with Ren and Nora, they had registered with the Imperial Authorities to become Hunters for the Empire; striking back at those who had attacked Beacon. It never bothered him that the Empire now ruled Remnant; seeing them as the means to help him towards his goal of getting justice for his partner. While his two friends went with him on missions in the early days against the Grimm, they had been reluctant to go after the White Fang which had caused a break in the team. They were still friends and Jaune always visited the duo at their place near the badlands; them being part of the Imperial Garrison on the border between Vale and Grimm territory. The three had even been part of the various campaigns against the Grimm in their home territory; which always nearly got them killed.

It was then that he had discovered his Semblance; the ability to absorb physical attacks as if his body were made of metal. It allowed him take the battle to the enemy, whether they be Grimm or actual people, though he was in no ways invincible; just able to take enough punishment until he got a good strike with his sword. It also helped him solidify his position with the 673rd after using his Semblance to save a few of the men during missions; whether they be against the Grimm, the White Fang, or Cinder's people. It had been strange at first to be fighting with solders that were different than himself, none of them possessing an aura, and he had to get used to the platoon's tactics at fighting from a distance while he got up close to the enemy. He did come to appreciate and respect them though; doing what he can to help them when they went to battle together. He even hoped to someday travel with them when they left Remnant for other parts of the Galaxy; once his revenge on Cinder Fall was complete.

"This mission must be important if we aren't even getting a proper briefing," remarked the young Hunter as he checked his gear; putting his sword and shield behind his back. He also made sure his sidearm was attached to his hip as always.

"Or just time sensitive; like that mission in Haven last year," reminded the older soldier as he watched as the rest of his men started to enter the back of the lander. One of them handed the Sargent his helmet which Abram then put on; with Jaune being the only one now whose face was now visible.

Jaune simply nodded as the back of the lander began to close and they went to their seats for the trip to their destination. Strapping in, he could feel the ship begin to lift off through his aura; having trained to use it more in the past few years. Ever since he first singed up with the Empire, he had gone into orbit many times to go on missions that took him to the far corners of his world; having never been able to do it before. Since the occupation began, or liberation as Jaune fully believed, the young man found himself traveling to places he never knew existed on Remnant; hindered normally because of the Grimm. He also got to see what his world looked like from orbit and never realized on how large it really was; not to mention how broken it was as well given the state of their moon. From what he understood, the Empire was studying on why the moon had been shattered and it was theorized that it might have been because of some battle though there was no history of such on Remnant; not to mention in the rest of the galaxy as well since there were no records of his world existing before the Empire stumbled across it.

Very few got to travel into space on for a native of Remnant; the privilege going to only to a select few such as himself or other Imperial Huntsman outside of the local Government. Nora had been so memorized when it happened for the first time, on their mission to the badlands for the first campaign that she tried to go out the airlock to see what it was like in space itself. It had been the combined efforts of security personnel, Jaune, Ren, and a few droids to stop her from sucking them all out into space that she nearly got imprisoned for it. It was by luck that the Imperial officer at the time had been lenient and extended courtesy to the Hunters so that Nora didn't get into too much trouble. They had been forced to clean up a garbage leak aboard on the Imperial Warships which went in their favor since Nora got to experience zero gravity as did they all. He remembered thinking of Pyrrha at the time and knew that she would have loved being in space; though having been denied because of her immature death. Jaune remembered becoming angry and both his friends having to sooth his anger; which he greatly appreciated and was happy that they had been with him at the worst of it.

His thoughts were interrupted as a hologram of an Imperial Lieutenant appeared on the small table in front of him.

"My apologies for the suddenness of your mission but time was of the essence. Our Intel reports that one of Cinder Fall's major subordinates is located in an abandoned village near the outskirts of Mistral; near the border of Vacuo. Though we are unsure of who he has with him, whether they be local criminals or White Fang, we do know that he has some stolen technology protecting his base which requires Fighter support which will move in first to remove any anti-air that could pose a threat to the transport; as minor as that probably is," informed the Imperial Officer as he read from a datapad and not looking at the assembled soldiers. Jaune's head perked up and he could feel the anticipation in his gut.

"Do we know who this subordinate is?" Jaune asked as he tried to remain calm; a few possible names appearing in his head. Even though she was being hunted by the authorities, there had been no trace of Cinder in the past four years; though her presence was still felt at times.

"A Mercury Black," answered the hologram and noted the sudden intensity that appeared on the Hunter's face. It was obvious that the Hunter knew the name and he was curious why; especially with the dark look that appeared on the young man's face that caused Sargent Abram to place a hand on his shoulder in support.

During his downtime between missions, Jaune used his new status to learn everything there was to lean about Cinder Fall. As an Imperial Huntsman, the young man had access to everything the Empire had on the woman; who was older than anyone previously thought. While they believed that her name was real, Cinder's history was still unknown as well as her motivations; some believing that there had to be a real reason for her actions other than just cause chaos for the Grimm to thrive. What was known was very little, but Jaune was able to find out those who worked for her as well as the organizations that were either allied or she controlled; thus he had been surprised to learn that Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai had been working for her back during the Vytal Festival. Like Cinder, neither had been seen since the Battle of Beacon and were hunted just as much as she was; though all there had been were sightings. It was believed that they were always in contact with the Fallen Maiden and thus the past to her capture lay through them; which the opportunity now arose.

"What are the mission parameters once we land sir?" Sargent Abram asked as the ship began to enter the atmosphere. He was one of the few that knew what the name meant to his friend and what was about to possibly entail because of it.

"High Command wants him alive so that he can lead us to Cinder Fall; thus it is imperative that he be subdued at all costs. Anyone else with him is not important for capture thus terminate with extreme prejudice; even if they try to surrender. A lesson needs to be taught that those who rebel against Imperial Authority will not be granted mercy," ordered the Lieutenant and the assembled soldiers nodded in understanding; even Jaune. Before the Battle of Beacon, he would have been fazed by the command but that was before the murder of his partner.

"Understood sir; we will obey," was all that the Sargent said as the hologram flickered off; leaving them alone once again.

"This will not be an easy mission; Mercury Black is really fast with his legs and knows how to fight. He will try to come in close and his legs are cybernetic in nature so I recommend using EMP grenades to short them out," Jaune advised the rest of the stormtroopers and they took his words to heart; knowing that the young man knew what he was talking about. While they had faced rogue Huntsman before, this one was known to be quite powerful.

"That will probably be painful for him since Remnant's cybernetics are a bit more connected to the nervous system than what the rest of the galaxy uses," observed one of the other troopers from their right. Jaune knew that he was one of the medics in the unit to it wasn't a surprise that this would be brought up.

"Good; he deserves to be in pain for what he's done," the young man stated with obvious venom in his voice. While he was trying to stay professional for the mission, he could not help but feel giddy at the thought of inflicting pain onto Mercury even though he wanted him brought in alive as well.

"We need him alive though so you need to check your feelings; I don't want to have to stun you in order to accomplish the mission," stated the Sargent sternly as a warning to Jaune; more than willing to carry it out. Though he liked the young man, he knew that the mission came first above all else.

"I will; I just don't need to bring him in without a few scratches. I just hope the higher ups can extract the information out of him so we can finally get to Cinder; there is still a kill order out for that bitch," Jaune said to the group as a look of intensity appeared back on his face. It had come down from the powers to be, both in the Provisional Government and the Imperial Military, that Cinder Fall was too dangerous to remain alive thus was to be executed when the opportunity arose.

"And we'll be there to carry it out; this unit is here to bring peace to the worlds of the Empire and she is a threat to that," said another one of the troopers who happened to be carry a type of rocket launcher on his back. There were nods of agreement from the rest of the soldiers and Jaune had to smile at their support.

As the lander moved through the atmosphere of the planet, Tie Fighters had also launched as well and rushed towards the enemy base ahead of the transport. The idea was for the fighters to hit any target that could be a threat to the safety of the transport and keep any local defenses distracted so that it could land the platoon. While using Tie Bombers would have been more ideal, their slow speed could have been a hindrance to whatever the enemy had for defenses against threats from the air; not to mention that their bombs could have destroyed the primary target. While technology on Remnant wasn't as advanced as the rest of the galaxy per say, they could still give it if the Empire had simply invaded outright. There were reports of advance weapons, produced by Atlas and the other Kingdoms, following into the hands of the various criminal organizations which was why the Empire had to send its best when dealing with the enemy. Usually overkill was warranted so there had been more than enough times when enemy bases had been bombed from orbit before the ground forces went in; though only if there wasn't a risk of anything important being hit.

As they approached the village, it seemed that they had been detected by a series of anti-air batteries that was spread throughout the abandoned buildings. Definitely Atlas in origin, they were heavy cannons with advance tracking and dust enhanced shells. As the Tie Fighters got within range, they opened fire and they had to scatter to avoid being hit. As the sky lit up in cannon fire, the sun just starting to set over the horizon, the fighters opened up with their own laser fire with flashes of green fire hitting the ground. While the Ties had to dodge constantly, they managed to take out a few batteries which there were not too many of. Since the anti-air cannons were of older design as well as the shells they used, they only dinged the armor plating of the Tie Fighters though they were only hitting the craft slightly. It was more than likely that a direct hit could cause the fighter to have to withdraw or fall from the sky; even exploding depending on what part of the Tie was hit. Fortunately, the pilots were used to having to rely on reflexes to dodge enemy fire given the vulnerability of the general Tie Fighter variant.

While the anti-air was being taken out, the sentinel lander came in hard from the east as darkness enveloped the land; the sun fully setting now. Even with its massive size, the enemy batteries failed to pick it up thus the craft was able to land on the outskirts of the village; its back facing it with the back door opening up. Jaune and the platoon exited the lander quickly with their weapons drawn; looking for any possible targets. The village itself was of medium size and rested on a flat surface on some grassland with a makeshift wooden wall surrounding it; though there seemed to be some rather large gaps in it. The buildings were old and made of local stone with wooden roofs, spread out in a general fashion without any real order; though the larger ones appeared to be in the center of the enclave. As the stormtroopers and the Hunter moved slowly to the edge of the village, they split up and leaned against both sides of one of the gaps in the wooden wall; one of the troopers peering from the side to see if there was any activity. Seeing a flash, the trooper moved his head just as a bullet moved through the air and just missed him; coming from a sniper on one of the rooftops. Pretty soon, more fire erupted from the buildings with a few red streaks indicating the enemy had blasters; burning holes though the wooden protection.

"I wonder what other tech they have waiting for us?" Jaune wondered out loud somewhat sarcastically as they moved away from the worthless protective wall and lay flat on the ground.

"Good question; I also want to know how many of them there are," stated the Sargent as the rest of his troops opened fire with their own blaster rifles. Spreading out on the ground, they fired into the village through the same holes left by the enemy shots.

"Well we can't stay here; I'll draw their fire while you take advantage with them distracted," the Hunter said as he activated his semblance and brought up his shield as well as his pistol. Abram nodded and raised his hand to for the men to cease fire in order not to hit the young man.

They had used the tactic many times so it was not a problem for Jaune as he rose to his feet and took off running through the gap. With his shield raised to deflect any oncoming weapons fire, he felt the vibration as enemy shots connected; returning fire with his own pistol though he never expected to hit anything. As he got closer to the village proper, more enemy rained down on him and he felt a few hits slam against his body; his semblance absorbing the hits which was a mix of regular bullets and energy fire. As planned, the enemy defenders seemed to be focused on him and now ignored the rest of the stormtrooper platoon; which was their major mistake. Running up to one of the buildings, a rocket flew above him and slammed into one of the sniper positions; causing an extraordinary explosion with pieces of the upper part of the stone building to go everywhere. Smiling, Jaune brought his pistol to bear on another enemy as the shock of what just happened resonated through their ranks; pulling the trigger. There was a cry of pain and the young man fired again until he sensed that the target was no longer active.

With the enemy defense lessened, Jaune moved again as the rest of the platoon came through the gap while firing. A large deer Faunus stormed out from one of the buildings to his right and seemed to miss the Hunter; instead focused on the stormtroopers. The Faunus was in the garb of the White Fang and it confirmed that Cinder was still working with the renegade organization; though it had been assumed that they had gone their separate ways after the Battle of Beacon and the arrival of the Empire. He was carrying a blaster rifle and Jaune couldn't help but wonder how the Faunus got the weapon; no reports of any being stolen recently. It seemed that like the old days before the Arrival, there were still those in power willing to sell out in order to make lien and not care about the consequences. Before the enemy could take a shot at his comrades, the Hunter used his pistol to shoot the Faunus in the back; quite literally. Dropping like a sack of potatoes, he lay still on the ground and Jaune continued on towards his prey.

There were more enemy coming out of the buildings as the last anti-air battery was destroyed by the Tie Fighters; who then left the area. Jaune decided to ignore them for the most part and kept moving towards his target; though he took down any opponent that came across his way. As darkness engulfed the sky though there was still some illumination from the battle, the Hunter was able to move through the shadows as the platoon kept the enemy busy; now made up of a mix of human criminals and Faunus from the White Fang. They were armed with a different variety of weapons, stolen in nature, thus Jaune was forced to use his semblance at all times while he ran. After slicing through two Faunus and a large human guy armed with a type of shotgun, the young man approached a plaza type area where a couple of transports lay; though only two seemed to be intact. They looked to be gearing up for a retreat which was risky since they could be taken out in flight by the Imperial Fighters above; sent by the warship directly overhead.

That was when Jaune spotted him; Mercury Black in all his glory.

The young man looked a little older but pretty much the same since the last time Jaune had seen him at Beacon. His black hair was somewhat longer though he made no effort to hide his cybernetic legs; even looked to have been upgraded. He was standing next to one of the transports with a mixed group of White Fang and Human criminals; loading what looked like crates into the craft. It was obvious that he was supervising them and in the rate that they were loading, the group was on their way out; hoping to take their cargo with them. Given that he and the platoon were facing an enemy with some advanced tech, Jaune believed that there was more in those very same crates that was now being loaded. He wondered what else they manage to steal in order to promote chaos on Remnant; hoping that it would not give them the edge in this hidden war. Mercury must have sensed the Hunter because he suddenly turned towards Jaune; the two locking eyes. Even though it had been years since they had last seen one another back at Beacon, the criminal obviously recognized him; crafting a wicked smile his way.

It took all of Jaune's will to not charge right away out of fury; instead, taking a deep breath and calming his mind. Drawing his sword and blade, he walked slowly towards Mercury while still keeping an eye on the men next to him. They were about to draw their weapons until the young man barked and order; seemingly to get back to their tasks. He then started to make his way to face the Hunter; coming at him alone. Jaune just walked slowly, bringing himself under control as he remembered his orders; that Mercury was to be taken alive. While he really wanted to remove that smirk from the cybernetic- enhanced man's face permanently, the mission had to come first since there was a chance that Cinder's location could be ascertained from the capture; given that she was the true face of evil. After all, she was the one who murdered Pyrrha while Mercury was a simple stooge for her; though also having blood on his hands as well.

"Well well well, isn't it the weak one; I see you are slumming it with the Empire now," Mercury said to the Hunter; mocking him. He was giving Jaune a look that conveyed that he believed he was the superior of the two.

"That's pretty bold of you to say given that you are the one stalking the shadows with that mistress of yours; I guess you traded your father for someone a little more S&M," stated Jaune with a smile of his own; causing the other man's face to darken and drop the mocking smile. The Hunter had found out about Mercury's childhood years ago so he knew how to get under his skin; no pun intended.

"And you are nothing but a pathetic worm who doesn't have that red-headed tramp to hide behind anymore. Bet you must have had a lot of fun peeking under that skirt when you were together?" the criminal mocked once again which caused Jaune's blood to boil. It once again took everything he had to not lash out right then and there; instead, using his mental disciple to keep his anger in check.

"Pyrrha Nikos was a pure woman and someone special; choosing to fight for the people of Remnant as a true Huntress. While I was never worthy of her friendship, I can at least make sure that she receives the justice she deserves; which is why I am bringing you in so you can tell us where your master is," the Hunter said with a firm look upon his face; his tone matching. He then put himself into a fighting stance and prepared for what was to come.

"Is that right? Let's see what you got though I suspect it ain't much," Mercury said to him; also putting his body into a fighting stance. The two just stared at one another while the sounds of battle were going on around them; the platoon not too far away.

Jaune was nearly caught off guard when Mercury suddenly moved; closing the distance between the two with a sudden speed. The Hunter was ready for this however and brought up his shield to block the young man's kick; hitting his shield with a powerful force that slightly staggered him backwards. There was another kick sent his way, going at Jaune's side, and he managed to use the shield once again though the force of the hit seemed to be stronger; almost forcing Jaune to lose his stance. While the Hunter had been preparing for years in case he faced Mercury in battle, watching videos of the various fights four years ago in Beacon, he hadn't been prepared for the force of such blows; though he should have realized since he did know about the young man's legs. Back then, no one had known about them thus why he was able to gain an advantage over his opponents in the various fights; especially when he fought against Jaune's friends. If Yang had known about them, she would have shattered the metal appendages into pieces like they should have been; definitely during the Vytal Festival.

Using his shield to parry a kick from Mercury's left leg, Jaune swung his sword in a downward arc in order to aim for the legs. Mercury saw the attempt and moved away at the last minute; thus he barely missed his target. Huffing, the Hunter charge forward with a wide swing so that he could put his opponent on the defensive; forcing the young man backwards in an attempt to dodge the strike. There were a couple more swings of the blade and each one missed Mercury; though they did do the job of keeping him occupied. That was when he leapt into the air and launched a powerful kick at Jaune; coming down like a meteor at the Hunter. It was at such speed that Jaune barely had enough time to bring his shield to bear; the feet connecting with the metal armor and causing him to fall backward onto the ground. He then had to roll as Mercury tried to stomp down in an attempted to crush his opponent's chest; the legs more than having enough force to prove a problem. While trying to do it again, Jaune swung his own leg out and caught his enemy by surprise; bringing his feet from out of under him. Mercury fell to the ground while Jaune attempted to get back up.

Unfortunately, the Hunter's speed wasn't good enough as Mercury propelled himself up quickly and came at Jaune; his arm stretched out. As he connected with him, Jaune saw that a hidden knife had extended from Mercury's wrist; it's pointy blade going into his side. The other man just smirked as he pressed his weapon into the Hunter's side in an effort to stab at some vital organ. Their eyes met and for a moment there was a look of triumph on the criminals face as it was apparent that he had breached the armor; his blade being strong enough to pierce the protective layer. That smirk ended as Jaune merely dropped his arms and seeming to let Mercury stab him; just standing there with a smirk of his own. His semblance was blocking the blade from breaking the skin; holding the weapon in in place no matter how much force was used though it wouldn't hold for much longer. With Mercury frozen in shock, the Hunter used his right hand to punch the criminal in the face; cold clocking with as much force he could produce despite his tired body. Jaune had discovered that using his Semblance did indeed take a lot out of him so him using it like this was draining his aura fast. Mercury fell backwards onto the ground and was winded; though still conscious.

"Shoot him!" yelled the criminal angrily as he struggle to get back up off the ground. By now, his men were aboard the transports and simply watching the fight take place.

With his shield only a few feet away, Jaune was about to jump to get it while the mix of White Fang and Human raised their weapons towards him; having a rather clear shot. Before that could happen though, a rocket rushed from above him and slammed into the farthest transport; causing his to explode in a fiery display. The force of the explosion nearly caused Jaune and Mercury to fall to the ground while the other transport started to take off in an attempt to escape. It didn't get far as an ion blast hit the craft dead on and it fell to the ground; now disabled. Looking over to see that elements of the stormtrooper platoon had arrived, Mercury tried to get up so that he could run; hoping to use his speed to get himself to safety. Unfortunately, he was hit by another ion blast and while doing nothing to his flesh, it fried the cybernetics in his body. The criminal screamed in pain as he fell back to the ground; now not being able to move since his arms had a few enhancements added in the last year; made up of stolen Imperial technology. As he withered in pain, Jaune stood over him with a satisfied smile on his face while the rest of his comrades were securing the scene. He ignored the executions that were happening to Mercury's people and instead just stared down at his disabled opponent.

"You're going to face what you've done; after you tell us where Cinder is. You can count on it," Jaune said to Mercury while staring into his eyes; offering a satisfied smile. He knew that once the Empire had him in custody, there would be a lengthy interrogation.

Which Jaune Arc couldn't wait to watch.

…

Ozpin had been waiting for her since dawn.

Standing on the porch of his little shack, he simply sipped his coffee as the woman approached with her escort.

He had expected that Salem would be accompanied though he believed it would have been some Grimm rather than Cinder Fall. The Fallen Maiden was standing by her Mistresses side as they stood at the edge of the clearing; protected by the shadows of the large trees. The Queen of the Grimm was in her black robes while her subordinate seemed to be sporting something similar; though a bit more masculine for travel. The young woman's hair was still short, the long part having been removed during their fight at Beacon four years ago, and it seemed that she had made no effort to grow it back. While Salem had a cold look upon her face, which was rather normal for the individual, Cinder almost seemed to have smug face; though it was probably for show given the state of Remnant at the moment even with her stolen powers. While normally he would have been concerned that two very powerful beings were now on his doorstep so to speak, this area was a greater place of power for him; thus he had the advantage here.

Currently, it appeared to be midafternoon as the sun shown bright in the sky as well as a gentle breeze in the air. Other than the former Headmaster and his guests, there didn't seem to be another living soul in the area; as planned that way. The shack that Ozpin was standing in front of looked to be big enough for one person; appearing run down at first glance. While the wood looked old, it was by no means rotted or falling apart; as if had been preserved by some supernatural means. A little ways from the shack was a garden that also appeared to be well kept; clear of weeds and rot; even sporting some vegetables in their early stages of growth. Some farm equipment, antique and hand use, lay next to the gate that surrounded the small garden; it being closed up at the moment. There was also a small stream of water that passed through next to the residence that was birthed from one part of the forest that surrounded the clearing to the other; providing fresh water. With his cane in hand, an older one and not the one he held back at Beacon, the man made his way to the two individuals that had now made their way into the clearing proper; having been let in finally after a few minutes.

"You are looking well," Ozpin said to Salem politely with no hint in malice in his voice. He ignored Cinder and focused his attention purely on who he considered his equal; both in power and age.

"And you are looking old and senile," Salem responded with malice in her voice; as if she had a long standing animosity against the man. While Ozpin raised his eyebrows briefly at the barb, he kept his expression neutral since he had long gotten used to Salem's attitude towards him.

"Maybe; I almost wondered if you got my message since we have not used that form of communication in a long time," the Wizard admitted with a slight smile; taking a sip of his drink afterwards. In fact, the response had almost come immediately with an exchange on agreeing to a time and place to meet; which he wanted here in order to have the advantage.

"I was surprised you even dared at such an old method; I expected you to cower in this place forever," Salem remarked with almost a mocking tone; earning a smirk from Cinder. What the young woman didn't know was that Ozpin could read her Mistress well so he knew what she was really feeling.

"Given the current circumstances, I felt that we needed to talk. You may have fended off the Empire for now but it is only a matter of time before it's real rulers come to Remnant to succeed where their subordinates failed. We both know your minions are no match for that encounter given that the Imperial Fleet in orbit has kept them in check," the man stated to his equal; overlooking the glare that now came from Cinder's face. He knew full well through his contacts that the Fallen Maiden's organization was on the run pretty much everywhere and could not put up a decent aggressive act against the planet's new authority.

"I don't fear the Sith; let them come and be devoured by my children," Salem retorted, seemingly dismissing the Huntsman's words. Her subordinate looked just as dismissive though it was all a farce given her recent failures.

"You do fear the Sith and we both know it such as I do. I am the one person you cannot lie to here Salem," Ozpin countered with a firmer tone of voice; staring straight into his old companion's eyes. Instead of glaring back like she always did, he could see the hesitation on the woman's face given that she knew what he said was true.

"The Sith?" asked a now confused Cinder Fall; looking at her Mistress questioningly. Ozpin wasn't surprised that Salem never mentioned them to her minion given that she liked to keep her secrets just as much as he did; though he did it more as a protective manner than her reasons for doing so.

"You should have told her if you were going to make her do your fighting for you; especially since she has a great chance of dying quickly," chastened the man as if he were addressing an old pupil; though their relationship being a bit more complicated than that. Cinder seemed surprised by the words and looked over at Salem again with a slight look of worry.

"If the Sith were going to come, they would have done so by now. We both know that they would have been drawn to our power once they knew the truth of our heritage once Remnant was revealed to the galaxy; just like last time," the Queen of the Grimm argued as if Ozpin was overplaying the danger. Cinder looked curious on what the older woman meant by that given that she just admitted that she and Ozpin shared a similar origin.

"We got lucky the last time since those Sith four thousand years ago were broken elements from Darth Vitiate's Sith Empire; having such a small force at the time. This is different and we both have felt the power that is emanating from the Core for some time now; thus we need to put aside our differences so that our mutual legacy stays hidden. Our Celestial ancestors would insist on it," the Wizard put forth in almost a commanding tone of voice; reminding his equal of their mutual duty. The woman seemed put off by the comment and now looked unsure; something that had not happened in a very long time.

"The Force is inferior to us and our Legacy; you worry too much old man," Salem once again countered though she had to admit internally that he made some good points. While she had fought off the minions of the Sith a number of times now, she was frustrated that she could not strike back with her children effectively.

"You worry too little; you forget what happened to your mother at the power of the Force and you should not dismiss it so easily. Though our Legacy and the Force are different from one another, they are still just about equal in power," Ozpin reminded Salem as he started to become somewhat frustrated and felt that the conversation was going nowhere. While he never doubted her intelligence, he also knew that Salem shared his weakness for arrogance.

"Don't bring that foolish woman into this old man; she died because of her weakness which I have learned to purge from my very being. I don't see why we need to cooperate on anything since it is obvious that you are more fearful of the Sith than I am," Salem stated as if she were done with the conversation. Though there was a small part of her that believed the Huntsman's words were true, she simply dismissed them as prattle.

That was when Salem made a gesture of her hand; which then caused Cinder to leap into action.

Bringing her full power of her Maiden abilities to bare, the young woman hovered into the air and summoned a great surge of fire; smiling as her target had yet to react. One could feel the heat as the fire surrounded Cinder like a bubble; feeding from the rich atmosphere in the area. She then sent the burst of fire at Ozpin and it hit the man; though the reaction was not what she had expecting. Instead of burning the Huntsman into a crisp, he shattered into pieces as if he were made of glass; Cinder seeing a similar something like that before. The sky then began to darken and it was if nature itself moved against her. Her powers suddenly failed her and she dropped to the ground; her legs aching as they hit the hard dirt. Then she was hit with a tremendous force that hurled the Fallen Maiden backwards into the trees themselves; as if she was being ejected from the enclave that was Ozpins. Salem watched the scene with slight annoyance; both at herself for underestimating the former Headmaster and her servant for failing so miserably though one could say that it wasn't Cinder's fault.

"You forget that the power of our people runs through this sanctuary; which still finds me worthy of its protection," Ozpin told Salem as he emerged from behind the shack. At his side was a pink-haired teen holding a parasol in a defensive stance.

"I guess I did forget; since our business is concluded then I am leaving. I have no patience for foolish old men," said the Queen of the Grimm as if she were now board; hiding her anger. She made note to punish Cinder later for her failure to quench her rage.

"Then go my Daughter; my offer still stands," the Huntsman said quietly with a trace of sadness in his voice; causing Salem to momentarily stop as her back was now to him. She was at the edge of the forest now and simply stood there as she considered her next words.

"I haven't been your daughter in a long time; remember that Ozpin," she said as she slinked into the shadows of the trees; going to find her servant to see what her state was. She was then gone and Ozpin could no longer feel her presence; both to his relief and gloom.

"Thank you for that my dear; it was greatly appreciated," the former Headmaster told Neo as he smiled down at the teen. She gave an appreciative nod though he could see the questions burning in her mind from her eyes; which she would have blurted out if it weren't for her condition.

"And just when I can think of no more questions, this happens," stated Ironwood as he emerged with Glynda Goodwitch from their hidden place from the shack itself. Both seemed shocked at what had just been learned which was quite understandable.

"Yes I suppose I do owe you answers about that; but that is a long story for another day," Ozpin told the three as he sighed and leaned against the fence surrounding the garden. He waved off Neo and Glynda as fatigue resonated through his body; his aura depleted somewhat.

"With all great respect, and I truly mean that, but we need to talk about that. I can't believe that monster is your daughter," Ironwood simply said as he struggled to wrap his mind around the concept. He always suspected that Salem and Ozpin had some sort of connection; just considered it a family one.

"Once upon a time, she was a sweet and innocent girl that loved life; but that ended for reasons that I will not divulge. All that is important now is that she will not heed my advice and we have to prepare the eventual arrival of the Sith; especially since her power will draw them here," the elder Huntsman warned the General with all seriousness; trying to emphasize the point. In his mind, Ozpin felt that there were greater things at stake than his long shattered relationship with his estranged daughter.

"Are these Sith really that bad?" Glynda asked respectfully, speaking up for the first time. Like James, she was also caught off guard by the relationship between the man she respected and the monster she loathed.

"Yes; they rule the Empire and they will come which is why we must move carefully in our plans. Remnant's liberation will have to go at a steady pace and not be rushed; which is why you two must continue your roles. This is why I did not want you to intervene since it would have revealed that you two are still working with me to Cinder; who could have used that information to her advantage," Ozpin told the pair as he looked up at the sky above; knowing that the Imperial Fleet was up there; sometimes picking out ships at night when the stars were out. This place was well concealed from being detected by the vessels; shielded by an ancient power that the galaxy had long forgotten.

When the Empire landed and began taking over the planet; it was Ozpin who had instructed his people to stay their hand and go along with the occupation. Seeing that the invaders possessed technology far greater than Remnant's, any organized resistance to the Empire would only result in bloodshed which had to be avoided. Everyone had followed his orders and while he rested in his sanctuary after the battle with Cinder Fall, they took positions inside the Provisional Government that now ruled the planet in the Empire's name; biding their hand and gathering information. Through tidbits procured by working closely with the Imperial Military personnel, the group was able to determine that the Empire ruled the Galaxy with an iron fist and possessed a military made up of thousands of ships with legions of troops; which made things all the more complicated for them all. It was Ozpin who figured out that it was the Sith that controlled the Empire, finding out about the Emperor's enforcer Darth Vader as well as the Inquisitors that served wielded the Force. The former Headmaster knew full well that no ordinary individual could order around a Sith Lord without being an even more powerful Sith; thus adding to the danger of things.

"If the Sith do come; what will you do? Aura and Semblances are separate from the Force but could be used against them," Glynda put forth; remembering what had been explained to her by Ozpin about the power yielded by the threat. While he had not gone into great detail, she knew that the Force was wielded by both the Sith and Jedi though used differently.

"I don't know; if they come because of Salem, the power here has to be protected from them since the results of the Sith discovering it would be devastating for all life in the Universe. There are secrets on this world that has to remain hidden; no matter what the cost. I just have to hope that there are still Jedi hiding out there and will distract the Sith long enough for Remnant to be ignore; even being hidden again at some time in the future, Ozpin said and one could hear the hope in his voice. He smiled in thanks to Neo as she arrived with a fresh cup of coffee; having left the group briefly in order to get it for him.

"If there are any of these Jedi left. From everything I have heard from the Imperial Brass, they were hunted down and wiped out by the Empire after the end of the Clone Wars," Ironwood stated; hearing about the massacre from his conversations with various Imperial Officers. As part of the local military force which now could be considered a part of the Imperial Army, he had the opportunity to learn much about the galaxy; finding it both fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

"As long as there are Sith, there will be Jedi. As long as there are Jedi, there will be Sith. You cannot have one without the other no matter how much effort each Order puts into wiping out the other. I have no doubt that there are still Jedi out there and they will emerge once the Sith become full of themselves; just like the Sith did themselves. All we have to do is keep an eye out and wait for that opportunity," the elder Huntsman countered gently as he sipped his coffee; the taste feeling refreshing in his mouth. One of Neapolitan's many gifts was that she could make great coffee; as well as other talents that had been exploited by Torchwick.

Neo had come into his service just after the Battle of Beacon; Ozpin finding her injured as he escaped the campus as the Empire took control. While injured and weak from his fight with Cinder Fall, he simply could not leave the young teen as she lay broken on the ground; having fallen from the sky. Using the last of his aura, he had brought her with him to this hidden sanctuary; taking a risk that Ironwood still considered a bad move to this day. She had been angry from hear about the death of Roman, who she considered like family, and wanted to go after Ruby whom she believed was responsible for his death. It was Ozpin who told her the truth that it was a Grimm that killed Torchwick; having been sent by Salem who never would have let the criminal have a place in her world. It was through that information that Neo began working with the former Headmaster; motivated by revenge at first though having a sense to protect Remnant as their relationship grew. With Qrow now having to guide his nieces to not doing anything rash, it was the pink-haired teen that was now his personal agent.

"So you are going to leave Salem to her fate; not do anything to help her if the Sith do come for her?" Goodwitch inquired curiously; feeling both sympathetic to the father and glad that the enemy would get rid of the Queen if the Grimm. Truthfully, she had hoped the Empire would have dealt with that particular monster so that they did now have to; having remembered the horrors at the Battle of Beacon.

"I have to put the people of this world first before all other things; it is because of them that I opposed her for so long. As much as it pains me to simply leave her to the Sith, there is no choice but to do so given what is at stake," said Ozpin with a firm but sad tone of voice. He did seem genuinely distraught by the thought of leaving Salem hanging; despite their long war that had last centuries.

"From a military standpoint, it might be better if we do just leave her. If these Sith do come, they will probably just leave once they are finished with her; thus we can concentrate on Remnant's liberation against an unsuspecting enemy. The risk is that they might steal whatever power she is harboring and use that against innocents across the galaxy," the General put forth gravely and it was a concern that he had thought about on occasion; ever since he had come to learn much about what was really going on behind the scenes from Ozpin.

"Doesn't work like that; the Celestials made sure that the greatest of their Legacy could only be used here on Remnant; though I am surprised that Dust can be used outside our world. That will complicate things since the Schnee are already increasing their influence and spreading the power of the SDC to other worlds. While I have long considered Morgan a lost cause, given his crimes against the Faunus, I still have hopes for Weiss," stated the older man with some confidence in his voice. While there were nods from Glynda and James, Neo just stood there with a blank face; considering his words.

After all, with Team RWBY long broken up; who knew which side Weiss was now on.

 **Please Read and Review!**


	6. Weiss's Strength

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **I once again apologize that it took so long to update but this chapter was a little hard to write; especially the battle at the end of the chapter. I plan for the next one to come out sooner than this one though it depends on my work schedule; also figuring out who the next one will focus on. I added a few more EU characters including one that some of you might be happy to see; one who will appear in later chapters as an ally to Weiss. I also want to know if you guys think I should change the name of Weiss's father to what it is in the series now; having been revealed in the last week's episode. Also, I want to know what you guys think of the battle and reviews would be nice; also, I might be looking for another Beta since my original one has been busy as of late. Anyways, enjoy the chapter and all feedback is welcomed.**

 **Also in putting my two cents into the idea of who is more powerful; I agree that Vader had the potential of being more powerful than Sidious but was held back by the Emperor. So I agree with Roach99 on that factor.**

 **Cmedina1: Vader will make an appearance on Remnant though he will not face Salem alone; there are other characters gunning for her as well. As for Palpatine, he will make a cameo though it later chapters. Also, thank you for reviewing!**

 **Mr. Ilax: I plan on revealing Ruby's motivations soon and how it is about more than revenge; I hope it will be to your satisfaction.**

 **MechaKingGhidorah100: Ruby is a bit complicated in this story and I plan on revealing her motivations in the next chapter with her.**

 **Roach99: Thank you and hope you are still reading!**

Weiss stood alone in the corner.

As she sipped her wine, an import from Commenor, she watched as her father attempted to woo the group of officials around him.

The gathering was in full swing as every major player on Coruscant was enjoying themselves on food and drink. There were Senators, Moffs, Generals, Admirals, Businessmen, and every other member of the elite in the Empire attending that happened to be on the planet. The event was being held in the Grand Hall of the Imperial Senate Building; a room large enough for an AT-AT to fit in with no problems. Decorated with golden chandeliers and various portraits of famous people, most of them being the Emperor though, the red carpet was filled with the feet of the guests as well as the many tables containing food and drink; manned by both servants and droids. The only sounds that could be heard were from the various conversations going on around her as well as the small orchestra playing music in the background; mostly soft melodies. Everyone was dressed in the fanciest attire money could buy while every member of the military had their medals on full display; not to mention the female elements having on jewelry that could practically buy a city back home; or large parts of one.

Weiss was dressed in something that was similar to her every day wear; though in a more evening gown form. The dress went down to her feet, though still high enough for her to walk properly, and she had some jewelry on for show; as requested by her father. Her Myrtenaster was currently locked up since no weapons had been allowed except for the guards stationed at every visible spot; a full regiment of stormtroopers if the rumors were correct. Even the upper echelons of the Imperial Military attending had been deprived of their sidearms; more out of safety for everyone gathered. It was aid that there were plenty of open rivalries within most of those in attendance; rumors of secret wars going behind the scenes. From what Weiss had heard from listening to the conversations around her, the fighting only took place through proxies and no violence was permitted on the Imperial Capital; mandated by the Emperor himself. Since she had her rapier everywhere she went, including in her own residence, the young woman felt a little naked without it; not to mentioned exposed. While the idea of something happening here was practically unthinkable and that they had yet to make any enemies here, Weiss still felt like she was too exposed.

As she watched her father, who was in a small group of officials with Moff Kaine by his side, she was reminded that they were the small fry here. Back home in Atlas, Morgan Schnee was always at the top of every event gathered by the Kingdom's elite; no matter who was actually host the party. There always those who practically slobbered up to him in order to gather favor; hoping to improve their own fortunes by proving themselves to the SDC. Here though, her family was nothing since use of Dust had yet to appear anywhere in the Empire; thus his reputation was non-existent. So her father was now forced to do the very same thing that other people had done to him for so many years; lick at his feet in order to enhance his reputation on the galactic scene. While a small part of Weiss was disgusted at what her father was doing, she also couldn't help but feel impressed on how successful he was being so far. The Paladin had impressed a lot of people and there were already orders coming from the Imperial Army; though mostly by Moff Kaine and his allies. During the ride here, Morgan had mentioned to his daughter that thirty units had been completed and were to be transported to Yaga Minor for more exercises; also other experimental SDC designs as well. If everything went well, the planet would host the first off-world facility own by her family which would be their gateway to the galaxy.

Finishing her wine, Weiss put the glass down on an empty tray and took another one as the servant droid took it away. Since it was apparent that she had been forgotten, the young woman decided to go exploring; wanting to see more of the building that had such a long history. When she was getting ready for the party, Weiss had gone over every detail of the Senate Building to that she could get a good sense of where to go. Since the Imperial senate was not in session, she was free to go anywhere she wanted; except for the Chancellor's office of course as well as the other personal offices of the Senators. Slipping away from her father since he was too distracted, Weiss made her way past the various groups, no one paying attention to her as she moved through them. One of the benefits of being a newcomer was that she was able to make her way without anyone paying attention to her; almost a relief for a change. Back home, this would have been impossible given her family's status; even being hard at Beacon when she was just another Huntress in training. After a few minutes of politely moving through other guests, all whom simply ignored her though the occasional guy tried to hit her up, Weiss walked out of the large room and into one of the hallways.

There more guards and she simply smiled at them as they watched her pass; though there were other guests making their way in and out of the main room. While there were many parts of the Senate Building she wanted to visit, Weiss decided to see where the Senators gathered to create laws; even though the Emperor now did that on his own. Waling over to the lift, she pressed a button to summon and stood there in silence as she waited; only the guards being the only ones close to her. When it came, she stepped inside the empty elevator and pressed another button to take her to a higher level where one of the many entrances to the Senate podiums lay. On the way here, she did her best to memorize where things were located in the building so Weiss had a pretty good idea where she needed to go. After a minute, the doors opened and she stepped into an empty hallway; though there were security cameras in the ceiling. Since Weiss was only sightseeing and wasn't doing anything that could be construed as a threat, she ignored the devices and walked on towards her destination.

However, the light from one of the rooms caught her attention so she decided to investigate.

What she found was an art gallery; depicting works from many parts of the galaxy from what Weiss could tell. The room was darkened and the only illumination was either directed at the artworks themselves or the single light in the ceiling. The works were made up of sculptures, portraits, holos, and other types that were lined so that they lined the walls; which were a lot of them since the room itself was quite large. Like the rest of the building, the carpet was red and there was a large window that showed the scene outside. Night had arrived at this part of the planet so all that could be seen was the cityscape beyond the Senate Building; though there was a partial glimpse of the Imperial Palace from the vantage point. One of the portraits that did catch Weiss's eye was one of a familiar face; as seen many times when she had been researching the Empire just after Remnant became under their authority. While the modern images depicted Emperor Palpatine as a somewhat frail and crippled individual, seeing the capture of him as still Chancellor before the Clone Wars made him look youthful and full of life.

Moving to another portrait that looked to be made of oils with a golden frame, Weiss gazed upon what appeared to be an ancient battle of some type; showing an army of armored warriors guided by one covered in golden armor with a red cape and holding a large spear-type weapon. While she was never into military history or the artwork that went with it, Weiss was still a Huntress so seeing the armor and the weapon was still interesting to see. If Ruby had been here, she would have marveled at the figures and would have possibly wanted to see their weapons in real life; always having a fascination with the different weaponry used by everyone else. It was at that moment that Weiss wished her partner, who the teen still considered Ruby to be, was here by her side. She had not talked to the scythe-wielding teen in four years but still watched out for her when she could; helping Ruby from the shadows so to speak. Weiss had pulled enough strings as she could to make sure Ruby could continue as a Huntress even with the new Imperial Authority; registering her as a Huntress with top credentials. If Weiss could not be by her side, she would at least make sure that one of them could live their mutual dream.

"They're called Mandalorians; that portrait is of Mandalore the Ultimate leading his warriors against Republic forces thousands of years ago," informed a voice from behind her which had startled Weiss from her inner thoughts. Momentarily forgetting that she was unarmed, the teen reached for her Myrtenaster though it was still at her side.

She turned suddenly to spot an individual emerging from one of the corners of the room; his hands clasped behind his back. Clearly older than she but still looked to be young, his red eyes and blue skin put Weiss off somewhat; the man being clearly an alien. Even being around Imperials the last four years, she had always been in the presence of Humans with the first contact of other species being on Coruscant itself. Some of the other species were unlike what she ever imagined; the Faunus looking so ordinary now. As he approached, the mysterious individual was clearly part of the Imperial Navy though his white uniform was not one she had seen before. He did not look hostile though and his tone from before had been pleasant as if he were simply letting her know what she was seeing. Even with his blue skin, she did not feel uncomfortable though she still readied herself in case something happened; still able to summon glyphs if she had to.

"I am not familiar with them; though I am still new to galactic history," Weiss admitted as she made another glance at the portrait. She vowed to look up theses Mandalorians the first chance she got since they had to be important enough for an artwork of them being displayed here.

"They're a warrior race that once ravaged the galaxy for glory and honor; fighting anyone who happened to be in their way. The race still exists but have long given up their ancient ways except for a few; though not considered a threat by the Empire," stated the man as he gazed up at the image as well. His manner of speak was so formal that Weiss immediately took him for a highly educated man.

"I see; they would have been interesting to fight," Weiss said to the man as she thought about the Mandalorians; wondering how they fought. From what she could see, they fought with both melee and energy weapons.

"Truly though those days are long gone; my apologies but I am Grand Admiral Thrawn and it is a pleasure to meet you Ms. Schnee," said the military officer as he offered a friendly bow in greeting. Although surprised that he knew her name, Weiss still remembered her manners and offered a curtsey.

"How did you know my name?" asked the young woman though it should not have been a surprise given that he was obviously of high rank in the Imperial Navy. Weiss had heard of the Grand Admirals before though it was said that they answered to the Emperor only.

"Your world lies near my area of operation; thus I was given all information regarding Remnant and its potential to contribute to the Empire," answered Thrawn as he seemed to study the Huntress in front of him. She wasn't surprised by his words since other Imperial Officials had more or less indicated the same thing for a while now.

"I was under the impression that Remnant lies nowhere near any place of operation," Weiss stated to the Imperial Officer; somewhat confused. One of the reasons why her world went so long without contact with the rest of the galaxy was because of its isolated location; it being at the center of a star cluster with nothing interesting.

"There are things that go on behind the scenes; as you well know. What do you think of the rest of the art here?" inquired the Grand Admiral; who seemed genuinely curious to what her answer was. Weiss looked around for a few minutes before giving him her honest answer; feeling that he would know if she were lying.

"It's strange to me since it is so different from what we have back on Remnant. Our art either depicts out greatest Hunters, scenes of nature, or portraits of people. I can see the beauty in some of the things here but I could never really get into art though my family insisted I have some skill; specifically my singing," answered the young woman as she walked over to one of the sculptures; depicting some sort of large beast. The thing truly looked like a monster though the Grimm still appeared to bring about fear in her.

"I would like to see some of that art and I will have to make a trip to your world if the occasion arises. I happen to enjoy art in all matters and believe it gives insight into how a culture operates; especially in warfare," stated Thrawn told Weiss as he went to her side; looking at the sculptor with mixed feelings. Unlike the other works present, this one didn't really have much to it though one could admire the detail in the Rancor.

"That is fascinating," Weiss said politely though she really didn't know what to say in regards to that statement. She never saw art more than what it was intended to do; now more than curious about the man next to her.

"Art can be very fascinating if the artist has skill," said a deep and almost mechanical voice from behind them. It was then that Weiss felt a coldness enter the room that would have chilled her if she wasn't such a big fan of the cold.

That was when she turned to see that she was face to face with Darth Vader.

Even before coming to Coruscant, Weiss had heard of the Dark Lord from the other officers she had associated with back on Remnant; the fear evident in their voices. While most of them were vague on the power that he wielded, it was clear that it had something to do with the now extinct Jedi that once served the Republic. Weiss had tried to find out more about the long gone Order but all information about them was either highly classified or had been scrubbed clean by the Empire. What was well known was that Darth Vader was the Emperor's enforcer and was about as close to Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Military as one got; having authority over any Moff or Imperial Officer no matter how what the rank was. She had heard stories on how he executed officers for incompetence and expected absolute obedience on his orders; no matter what they were. While holos of him were rare, the young woman had managed to get a good look of him before arriving and could see why he would be intimidating to many people. As for herself, Weiss would admit she was also intimidated though she wasn't afraid of him at all; having faced horrors back on her own world.

"Indeed; Lord Vader," greeted Thrawn as he gave the Sith Lord a polite bow of his head. Vader offered a polite and respectful bow of his own while Weiss curtsied the newcomer.

"So you are the Huntress from Remnant; I sense an unusual power in you that is not the Force. That is most curious," stated Darth Vader as he moved closer and studied the young woman in front of him. Both he and the Emperor were certain that there was no trace of the Force in the newly discovered world's population after having Inquisitors make secret journeys there.

"That is my Aura and Semblance my Lord; all Hunters have them," informed Weiss though she believed he probably already knew that. She knew that there were those in the Imperial forces back home that wanted to import Hunters to other worlds to fight those who would oppose the Empire's rule.

"So I have been informed; I would like a demonstration of that power. Come with me," ordered Vader as he suddenly turned and headed out of the room. Looking over at the Grand Admiral, he motioned for her to do as commanded; which she did with him closely behind.

It took a couple of minutes but the three eventually found themselves back in the Grand Hall; which had been set up for some sort of demonstration. There was now a wide open space in the center with the guests now, fewer in number, were located on the edge. As she walked in, Weiss noticed her father looking at her intently while he was standing next to Moff Kaine and another individual; whom she recognized as Sate Pestage which was the Emperor's Grand Vizier. Trying to ignore her father, the young woman was led to the center where a group of droids lay motionless; some sort of combat models given the staffs they carried. While Vader and Thrawn hung back, a stormtrooper came forward and handed Weiss her Myrtenaster; which she took along with the Dust cartridges that had to be emptied when she turned over her weapon after arriving earlier in the evening. While she loaded the dust into her rapier, Weiss noticed on how quiet the room became and she did her best to focus on the machines; ten in all. If her memory was correct from reading about various events, these droids were the same ones used as an escort for General Grievous of the long dead CIS.

While getting into a combat stance, the droids moved while activating their staffs; purple energy appearing on both ends of their staffs.

Standing there, the machines moved quickly to surround her; twirling their weapons as they did so. Weiss just watched them and raised her Myrtensater with one hand; deciding on what her next move would be. As one of them approached her in an effort to attack, a glyph formed at her feet and she rushed forward past it; going for the droid behind it. Before it could react, she stabbed at the machine and the blade pierced the armored shell superficially; though enough to make it stagger back. She then slashed at its exposed head and took it clean off before using another glyph to move away as another droid tried to attack from the right of her. Two more came at her and Weiss slowed them down using gravity dust; leaping into the air over their heads and then swinging her rapier. Again, she only caused very little damage bit it was enough to make both droids fall face forward onto the ground. She then did a backflip as a droid tried to attack her backside; bringing her blade down and stabbing it through the head. Sparks flew out and it collapsed onto the floor; now taken out of the fight.

There were six left and they began to move a little more cautiously now; their weapons raised and keeping their distance from her. They also paired up and seemed to be in a stance to help out one another if she made a move on either of the droids; forcing her to decide on which of her own moves to make. Though she had practiced every day, Weiss hadn't really been in a real fight in almost four years; ever since that day in Beacon. This fight was also different since these machines were unlike the ones built by the SDC, the armored shells being tougher not to mention their programing, and they were also smarter than actual Grimm she had faced. However, Weiss still had the advantage in a lot of ways and it was time to show off a little bit; demonstrating to the assembled the power of Remnant's Hunters. Smiling, she brought her rapier down hard and the floor erupted with ice; freezing the droids in place. The ice itself surrounded their metal bodies so that they couldn't move a limb; thus they were unable to properly defend themselves from being attacked. With them being stuck, she rushed forward and decapitated every one of them until their heads lined the ground.

With her prey vanquished, Weiss turned to face Vader until she felt a new presence behind her; a coldness like she had felt before. Whipping her head around, the young woman barely had time to dodge as a red lightsaber slashed at her form; using a glyph to move herself to safety. In front of her was a masked person dressed in all black; the Imperial symbol on her shoulder armor. It was definitely a she given that the chest area looked to be a little busty and for a moment, Weiss was reminded of Yang. The young Huntress concluded that this was one of the mysterious Inquisitors that she had heard about from various conversations from Imperial officials; thus she now had to be completely careful. Bringing her Myrtenaster up in a defensive stance, she imbued with a fire dust cartridge just to add an extra layer of protection; though she had confidence that her rapier could stand the energy from a lightsaber. Her opponent mimicked her defensive stance with one of her own and they began to circle one another with no one yet making a move; as if they were studying eachother. Remembering her training, Weiss buried her emotions which included fear and apprehension, and she watched the Inquisitor intently as well as reading herself in case she made the first move.

After about three minutes of neither making a move, Weiss decided to act first by firing off a series of ice bolts at her opponent. The streaks flew at the Inquisitor and she raised her lightsaber to deflect them; the ice meeting the hot plasma and fizzing out. Weiss kept firing and aimed for the floor below the other fighter, the floor turning into ice which caused her enemy to somewhat lose balance; which Weiss used to her advantage by rushing forward to close the distance. Her Myrtenaster met the red blade of the lightsaber and the two fought while the Inquisitor's legs were trying to keep her on her feet; the only sounds in the room were their weapons meeting. It was obvious that her opponent was more than a match for the Huntress given that she blocked every move she tried to make against her disadvantaged opponent until both of them became locked with Weiss pushing on the saber. That was when she got caught by surprise when the Inquisitor extended her other hand and a mysterious force propelled the young woman backwards in such a violent fashion that she was momentarily stunned. Coming to her senses in midair, Weiss landed on her hands and did a somersault until she was back on her feet; seeing the Inquisitor coming at her with her lightsaber ready for a slashing move.

Using gravity dust, Weiss formed a glyph at the bottom of her opponent and the Inquisitor was thrown upwards into the air. Using another glyph, Weiss jumped up and flew at her opponent while raising her rapier to strike; hoping to end this now. Taking a large swing once she was in distance, the Myrtenaster slammed into the chest of the Inquisitor and she shot downwards at such force that her helmet went flying once she hit the ground. Landing on her feet not too far away, Weiss was caught by surprise at the markings on a very dark-skinned young woman with very short brown hair; probably a few years older than herself. It was obvious that the Inquisitor was furious at her given the intense look she was giving the Huntress; her eyes blazing yellow. As she struggled to get back up, the woman's hand came out and Weiss felt an invisible force grab her neck; choking her. Dropping her Myrtenaster and clutching at her neck, Weiss was lifted into the air while the Inquisitor rose to her feet. Gagging noises were all that was coming from the Huntress's mouth as blood rushed to her eyes. Her working brain was screaming for her to do something but Weiss was too focused on trying to breathe; starting to panic.

That was when she used her trump card.

As her opponent walked towards Weiss with her hand still out, choking the young woman with the power of the force, there was a look of glee on her face. The Huntress closed her eyes and a large glyph formed from the back of her; catching the Inquisitor by surprise though she kept the pressure up on Weiss's neck. That was when a huge sword came down out of the glyph on where the force-user was standing; forcing her to jump back. An armored knight then emerged fully and began to go at the Inquisitor with his large sword; forcing her to break the force choke on the Huntress to pull her lightsaber to her. Activating the blade, she winced in pain as she held off the forceful slash of the knight's weapon; barely keeping the metal sword from cutting her in two as it loomed over her. Weiss on the other hand was coughing violently while holding her neck and on her knees; though she was paying attention to what was going on. As her opponent dealt with her summon, the young woman struggled to stand while retrieving her rapier; wincing in pain as the lightsaber connected with the side of the knight. While the summon could not feel pain in a sense, Weiss could though it was brief.

Staring at her enemy in rage, Weiss decided that she would give the Inquisitor something else to worry about; especially since her knight was starting to lose ground. Closing her eyes, she summoned another creature to throw at the other woman and glyph formed on the ground below her; almost taking up the entirety of the fighting space. As the Inquisitor barely managed to send the knight flying after taking out his sword, there was a loud scream as a huge Nevermore rose into the air; causing everyone to retreat for cover. All her opponent could do was stare as the creature hovered before her; flapping it's wings that caused a gust to push her slightly backwards. The guards in the room raised their weapons and readied to fire at the glowing white beast until Darth Vader raised his right hand as a motion for them to stand down. There were whispers from the rest of the assembled and all were impressed; which caused the Elder Schnee to smile. The Nevermore then fired multiple feathers at the Inquisitor, causing her to move quickly to dodge, disappearing once they had pierced the ground.

Weiss just stood there as she mentally directed her summon to distract her opponent while she watched her. While it was tempting to conjure up another creature she had vanquished in the past, having removed the knight, she wanted to finish the fight with her weapon. The other woman was now using her lightsaber, throwing the weapon, against the nevermore and the blade pierced the side of the creature which caused the Huntress to once again wince in pain. Her opponent then leaped into the air and stabbed the beast in the chest which caused it to fall to the ground; dissipating in a fantastic display. However, it was Weiss that dismissed the summon and she had used a glyph to launch herself into the air just as the Inquisitor was coming down; catching the force-wielder completely by surprise. Instead of slashing at the other woman, Weiss went for a stabbing attack and aimed for what she hoped was a part of the body that contained no vital organs; her anger fueling her desire to end this now though there was still a rational part of her brain still working. The strike met and the Myrtenaster punctured the armor the Inquisitor was wearing; hitting the older woman on the left side. Weiss then withdrew her rapier and kicked the woman in midair; sending her to the ground hard. While one landed on her side and was knocked out cold, though still in one piece, the Schnee landed on her feet.

With her aura spent and breathing heavily, Weiss readied herself as two more Inquisitors entered the room though they did not have their weapons drawn; their attire similar though they were of different body sizes. After walking up and retrieving their fellow force-wielder, the two left while Darth Vader came over; staring down at the young woman in silence. For some reason, Weiss could not bring herself to relax in front of the Dark Lord; holding her weapon though she did not have the strength to fight him. While the Huntress had done her best over the years to increase her aura and stamina, she was still at a level lower than her sister. There was also the fact that her summons took a toll on her aura; especially since she had summoned two of them instead of the usual one during combat. It was everything she had not to collapse right there but it was sheer will keeping her on her feet; not to mention the fact that her father was watching and would be disappointed if his heir showed weakness now after winning the fight. As it was, she could see the look of pride on his face at her victory; which was a rare sight.

"Most impressive Weiss Schnee; you have the potential to be a of great use to the Emperor as well as your world," Vader said to the young Huntress before turning his back to her; heading out of the room. Both Grand Admiral Thrawn and Sate Pestage followed him, the blue-skinned giving her a nod that indicated he was also impressed with her, while Moff Kaine and Morgan Schnee made their way to her.

"Well done Weiss; you've done the family well today," congratulated the Elder Schnee as he smiled down at his daughter. Weiss nodded and Kaine also looked like he was impressed with her; which he was and made note to establish some sort of relationship with the Huntress.

With the party now ended, both Schnees were escorted out of the building and taken back to their temporary residence alone. Moff Kaine had said his goodbyes as well as the rest of the group Morgan had made contact with. Weiss's eyes were struggling to remain open and she really wished she had some sort of aura recharge with her; having a few back in her room. By the time the aircar had arrived, she had lost conscious and had to be carried to her room by one of the escorting guards; now sleeping soundly in bed. While he was slightly irked that his daughter could not make it to her room, he was at least happy that she had maintained herself until they were free of the people he was trying to impress; thus she wouldn't embarrass him. He was genuinely happy on how the battle turned out though he had been caught by surprise by the whole thing; having been told that his daughter would be fighting an Inquisitor. With luck, he could use this to convince the Empire that Hunters could be used to fight their enemies; planning on recruiting a few of them from home. As for Weiss, she would be sent back to Remnant in a few days to prepare the way for more Schnee influence to spread back here.

After all, becoming Moff of Remnant was what mattered to him right now.

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	7. The Vacuo Fight

Disclaimer: still don't own it

 **Sorry for the long wait in updating this story but I should be up to posting regular updates from now on. A big Thank You to those who patiently follow this story and continue doing so; I really appreciate it!**

Ruby grunted as she climbed out of bed.

While it appeared to be still dark out, it was more than apparent by the time on the clock that it was nearly late morning.

She was starting to see the heavy resentment coming from the people of Vacuo in regards to the Imperial Warship hovering over their city. The Star Destroyer, _Imperial I_ -class as Nix informed her, was still there even though there was no reason to be; thus it was believed that it was there to remind the citizens of the former kingdom that the Empire was now in charge. During the transition period before all of Remnant had been annexed by the stellar power, Vacuo was one of the more resistant sections of the population to the new regime; to the point that the kingdom was readying itself for war against the Empire to maintain their independence. While there hadn't been any outright attacks against any nation on Remnant, there had been demonstrations by Imperial Forces where the fear of being annihilated from orbit had been the deciding factor in Vacuo standing down; especially since there was absolutely no way of striking back. Every now and then, the Empire did something like this to show the Imperial flag as a reminder to those more rebellious sections of the planet.

Dressed in a simple pair of red shorts and a white t-shirt, Ruby still felt comfortable given the hot temperature of the city; even with the large shade device hovering overhead. It was nice to get up from a warm bed instead of camping on the cold ground like she had been doing the last few years; especially those hard grounds in Mistral. While she had occasionally stayed at an inn when getting supplies at wherever town or village she came across, they were mostly cheap places with the most basic of living conditions. This was the first place in a long time that had everything she needed; down to hot water and great food. She even had a way to call her father to say hi and tell him that she was doing okay as opposed to just sending him a postcard like she had been doing these last few years. While communications on Remnant were under the control of the Empire, she was privileged enough to send things without any issues; not like she had anything to hide anyways. The only thing holding her back from getting ahold of her father was the fact that she might come in contact with Yang which she wasn't ready to just yet.

Getting out of bed, Ruby stretched her body and then went to do her morning routine; heading to the bathroom. After she did her business and cleaned up, the young woman walked out of the small bathroom and went to her bag to grab something to wear for the day; deciding on something a little more casual than her usual attire. It would be several days before she was ready to leave to Ruby thought she would take it easy for once; maybe see what the city had to offer even with the heavy Imperial presence. After putting on a simple black skirt with a red t-shirt, still somewhat in theme, she put on her shoes and headed out of her room to get something to eat; not doing her morning exercise since she didn't see the point of it. She still took her Crescent Rose along with her and had it holstered on her right hip even though she didn't expect trouble; more out of habit than anything else. After making sure everything was fine in her room, she left and locked the door behind her.

The bar was a little more crowded than the previous day but she was still able to grab a table and order something to eat. On the television screen was some sort of local street fight, which was allowed in Vacuo, with the audience shouting at it; thus things seemed a little livelier than the night before. Ordering some eggs and sausage with some milk to go with it, Ruby pulled out her scroll to look at the news as well as anything on social media; even though she knew for a fact that it was all censored by the Empire. Still if you knew where to look, there were some things that slipped past the censors that were relevant. Ruby always look at the reports or even rumors regarding the Grimm lands where the Imperials had encircled to contain the creatures; though there were still scatterings of them around the planet. Currently things were calm though there were rumors of increased activity along the border regards to smugglers; no doubt those who allied themselves to Salem. While her power had been diminished significantly, she still had those who did her work for her; ran by Cinder Fall whom Ruby had not seen since Beacon.

Ruby had just received her food when Nix entered the bar; clad in his white armor.

"Morning," greeted the clone as he took a seat after the huntress offered him the seat opposite from her. As before, the man received more than a few glares from the other patrons though both hunters just ignored them.

"Good morning; how was your night?" Ruby inquired before she drank some of her milk; one of the few childhood habits she had retained since she was younger. It was also something she went for whenever she was in civilization given that it was hard to bring milk on the open road for very long.

"Actually, pretty comfortable since I usually sleep in military style beds; or just about anything I could find during the Clone Wars. Even on the ship coming here, I had only the option of a bunk bed where I shared a room with about thirty other stormtroopers; not that I am not used to something like that already. This happens to be the first time I ever rented a room from a civilian establishment and even spending money," stated Nix as he ordered some soda from the waitress; who gave him a polite smile though there was a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

"Really? Well you should be ready to rough it then since being a Hunter means sleeping on the ground for more than a few nights; not to mention sand, snow, and just about any other environment out there," informed the Huntress as she finished her milk and asked for some more; going at her eggs.

"I've been involved in more than a few sieges so I understand roughing it; once had to sleep under a broken bridge we took from the clankers on Muunilinst years ago," stated the arc trooper as he simply dismissed what she said with a wave of his hand.

"Muunilinst?" inquired the red-cloaked Huntress in between mouthfuls of food; more than curious about the world. Given that she now knew there was a whole galaxy full of habitable worlds out there, she wanted to know a bit more about them.

"A banking world on the Outer Rim; not too far away from here actually with about a week's travel depending on the ship. The planet is like this one though really rich in minerals; it was quite a fight though and the Empire has a tight grip on it now," answered Nix as he took the soda from the waitress and sipped it. Ever since he had arrived on Remnant, he had gone for the local cuisine in order to get used to it since this was to be his new home.

"How many worlds have you been to? I spend all my time out in the field and the only people I meet who are not from Remnant are the Imperial soldiers; who I never really talk to," stated the young Huntress as she leaned back to see if he answered. While she got along with the Imperial officials she came into contact with on occasion, Ruby never really engaged in any conversation either; always finding them a bit stuffy.

"Don't think I ever counted; though I am will to bet around a hundred. The War took me to just about every part of the galaxy from lush worlds like this to desolate ones like Geonosis. Maybe once you succeed in your quest, you can go explore it," suggested the clone as he contemplated ordering some food. He had finished his leftovers from last night only a few hours ago so he wasn't that hungry.

"Maybe once Salem and Cinder are gone," Ruby said as she looked over at a small crowd of people once again shouting at the television. One of the fighters looked like he had been knocked out with his opponent walking around with his arms up in triumph; though he looked a bit bloodied.

"I have to admit that you crack me up," stated Nix as he just laughed and shook his head; catching the young woman by surprise. She was starting to get miffed by his sudden attitude towards her; as if he were mocking her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she growled; deciding that he was mocking her. Ruby was suddenly reminded of Yang for some reason before their big fight.

"Your world has been occupied by a Galactic power that rules every planet it controls with an iron fist. The people here obviously hate that and I would not doubt there is probably some rebel cell being formed at this very minute; thus fighting could break out at any time. You however seem to be fully focused on an old grievance than what is happening around you," said the former commando as he felt exasperated by the whole thought. He just couldn't help but be surprised on someone this skilled more involved with her personal quest than what was happening on her home world.

"It isn't about revenge; it's about justice. Salem and Cinder have ruined a lot of lives including someone precious to me," the young woman said quietly as she chewed her food; her face focused on her plate.

"I am familiar with Cinder Fall, pretty big reward by the authorities for her capture or death, but I don't think I have heard of this Salem," said Nix as he studied the young woman in front of him. He was still amazed on how this planet could raise such young people to be warriors though given the threats the people here faced, he supposed it was understandable.

"I doubt anyone has; except for those who have been fighting against her for years. Salem is the one who controls Cinder and I suppose there could be a chance that the Imperials might know about her but the fact that they don't move against her tells me they don't as well. As for who she is, she's a murderer; a monster that needs to be removed from this world forever," Ruby said to the arc trooper and the anger in her voice was definitely not missed by him.

"The way you say that, I think this is more personal than for your world," remarked the clone as he leaned back in his chair to see if she would explain more. She had gone to bed right after their brief conversation last night so he still didn't know the whole story.

"I am not in the habit of telling my life story to a total stranger but I will say that Salem has cost me and my family a lot of pain; so yes it is personal. But her being out there puts other people in danger so I have to end her; even if the Empire might be the bigger threat," Ruby declared quietly with a sense of conviction in her voice.

"Just don't let your personal feelings get in the way of you seeing the bigger picture. While I am in no ways considering rebelling against the Empire, especially since they give me a means to earn a living right now, you might want to pay attention to how they are viewed on your world since you might be drawn into a fight," Nix advised the Huntress evenly; from one warrior to another. As it stood, he had no friends on this planet and she could be his first; granted that she didn't get herself killed.

"Everyone I know is already divided because of the Empire; I just choose to focus on the picture that concerns Remnant more than the people who now rule it. My partner and best friend is part of the new regime because she is heir to the Schnee Dust Company while my sister as well as the rest of my family is opposed to it. My friends Jaune, Nora, and Ren are all Imperial Huntsman fighting for the Empire while other friends that I had back at Beacon sympathize with my sister. I can see that not everyone likes it that Remnant is occupied but I just can't care about that right now; Salem is just the bigger threat in my opinion," the red-cloaked Huntress explained to the clone as she finished the last of her food and pushed the plate away.

Before he could respond; there was a massive shaking of the ground with a deep rumbling coming from outside.

The bar emptied quickly and the patrons as well as Ruby rushed outside; though Nix just seemed to stroll as if he knew what was happening.

Looking up into the sky, Ruby and the large crowd of people watched as the Star Destroyer's engines came to life. The wind shifted as the massive vessel then moved forward and rose into the sky with a noise that seemed to drown out all other sounds; the shadow of its presence no longer blocking the sun upon Vacuo City. It was so sudden that Ruby wondered if it had even been there to begin with though it got smaller and smaller as it moved upwards into the sky itself; disappearing from view after a few minutes. Around her was the buzz of people talking and she could even hear the relief of those closest to her; quite happy that the presence of the Star Destroyer was now gone. It was if a great burden had been removed from the resident's lives and a normalcy could return. As the sun now beat down on her skin, Ruby knew that she now once again needed to walk around with her cloak to protect her skin; not wanting to rely on her aura for such a trivial task. By the time Nix joined her side, everyone began to disperse though there was the occasional glare thrown his way.

"The Empire loves to show off sometimes; sights like that are quite common in other parts of the galaxy," Nix commented to the young woman as the hot sun beat down on his skin. It didn't bother him though since he had felt something like that before; on much hotter worlds.

"I can't believe something massive like that could stay over the city for so long," Ruby stated as they moved into the shaded; still awed by what she had just seen. Seeing the ships that the Atlas military deployed at Beacon had been nothing compared to that single Star Destroyer.

"Trust me, that was all for show and not really practical. That ship was eating a lot of power just to sit there within the atmosphere for so long; being designed more for warfare in space than in the sky of a planet. The _Venator_ -class is more suited for fighting limited battles since it is a lot smaller and could even land on the planet itself; which I know there are a few above us right now. Once again, this was all to make a point to the people of this city," the clone explained to Ruby as he looked around to see if the Empire had left anything else before the Star Destroyer had left.

"And that happens often?" Ruby inquired just as something caught her eye; looking to the direction she saw it.

"More often than not; don't get me wrong, the Imperial Military has to be the greatest force in the Galaxy right now but it does have its many problems," Nix answered as Ruby suddenly moved onto the street. Curious on what she was doing, he followed her; having to pick up speed as she suddenly bolted.

As she ran, Ruby felt a chill down her spine as she attempted to catch up to the person she was currently chasing. It was then that she was glad that she had her Crescent Rose at her side since she had a very good feeling that she would be in the middle of a real fight soon. Turning a corner, the young woman attempted to find where the masked individual had gone; knowing that the White Fang member had not gone far. All she could see though was Vacuo citizens going about their daily lives; even Faunus which made up a good percentage of the population in the Kingdom. Though it had been years since she had fought the organization, now declared official terrorists by the Empire and constantly hunted, Ruby had a special disdain for them; especially since they had been responsible for letting Grimm into Beacon that had caused many deaths of people she knew; also the fact that they were still working for Cinder. She was hoping maybe that if she caught up to the person, she could get him to divulge the location of the Fallen Maiden.

"Where the hell are you going?" Nix asked her as the clone caught up to the young woman as they entered a large plaza.

There were buildings surrounding a square area with high roof tops and shops lining all around the edge of the sandy ground. The stone shops with open areas themselves were of a variety; selling everything from small dust crystals to local fruits from various parts of Vacuo; some from the other parts of Remnant as well. It was quite a lively place and the sounds of people laughing while they socialized as well as haggled over prices. Looking around, Ruby couldn't see any masked Faunus in the crowds; which made sense since the attire was known to all and would bring down the authorities on any member of the organization; whether they be local or Imperial in nature. It was lucky for her that she had caught a look at the masked person even though he or she was wearing a light brown robe covering their appearance; if he or she would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Even without the Imperial Mandate against them, the White Fang had been hated in Vacuo for quite some time; mostly due to their disruptions to the local trade. Unlike the rest of Remnant before the occupation began, the desert kingdom was tolerant of Faunus and Humans; the two groups working together without issue.

Before she could answer his question, a group of stormtroopers led by a green-uniformed officer had entered the plaza; about twenty in all and silencing all previous activity. Given that the streets leading into the large space was quite large, there was a vehicle following the stormtroopers in the form of a 2-M _Saber_ -class repulsor tank. The vehicle floated above the ground and sported a few visible weapons including a large turret that focused on the area in front of it. As the Imperials entered the center of the plaza, many of the civilians moved out of their way with Ruby and Nix moving under one of the canopies where a young man was selling fruit. The sight was nothing new to the young Huntress since she saw patrols like this whenever she entered one of the larger cities of Remnant; knowing that it was better to stay out of the way. While she had certain privileges that never caused her much risk if she ever had an issue with an Imperial patrol like this, she never left anything to chance. The way they were acting, it seemed that this was just a routine guard group and the people were waiting to let them pass just so that they could be on their way quickly. Nix noticed that more than a few people were giving the Imperials dirty looks but were smartly staying silent.

As she turned to Nix to say something, Ruby once again noticed something though this time it came from above. Multiple Faunus were quickly running across the roof tops surrounding the plaza and she saw that they were wearing the uniforms of the White Fang; not even covering up this time. Pulling out her Crescent Rose, Ruby activated its scythe mode and Nix moved back as he became alarmed by her sudden actions; until he looked to see what she focused on. Even though he was new to Remnant, he knew enough about the local politics to know who was on the radar when it came to those the Empire considered a threat; thus he grabbed the blaster rifle that had been mounted on his back. Watching the terrorists lining up alone the rooftops, the arc trooper knew an ambush when he saw one; having done a similar move against battledroids during the Clone Wars. His eyes widened as he watched a White Fang member point a type of large weapon at the Saber; recognizing it as an anti-tank RPG that had been used by the Republic Grand Army years ago. Before he could shout a warning to the patrol that was now in the center of the plaza and had not yet detected the danger, the weapon was fired and a rocket slammed into the tank; causing a massive explosion and causing a shockwave.

"FOR OUR FALLEN COMRADS!" shouted one of the White Fang members as they opened fire on the plaza below; not caring what they hit.

The White Fang members seemed to be not only armed with projectile weaponry, but blasters as well. As red weapons fire erupted, civilians ran screaming with the surviving stormtroopers returning fire; though they were more than exposed. Nix and Ruby entered the fray on the side of the Imperials, the Huntress firing dust rounds at the terrorists above with the clone moving to cover any disorientated troops. The tank was on fire and firmly on the ground; though it looked still to be active with a few white armored solders using it as cover while they fired back. The officer seemed to be unconscious as he lay face down on the ground and Ruby watched as one of the rogue Faunus lined up a shot with his rifle; prompting her to spring into action. Using her semblance, the Huntress moved in a flurry of speed while leaving a trail of red rose petals in her wake; astounding Nix as he stood there stunned for a second. He had heard of the locals having some sort of powers that could rival the Jedi and Sith but this was the first time he had seen it in action. Grabbing the officer, Ruby once again moved like a blur and got him to safety behind the counter of one of the shops; leaving him to reenter the battle.

"We have to get up there!" Ruby yelled to the arc trooper as she lined up the rifle part of her scythe and fired a few rounds. She hit one of the Faunus in the chest and caused three others to take cover.

"I can still get up on one of the roofs without my jetpack but I will need a running start and be clear of fire," the clone yelled back as he fired a blast at another White Fang member aiming an RPG; taking him out before he could pull the trigger. There were some objects he could use to climb up on the shorter roof though it would leave him exposed.

"I got it," said the Huntress and using her semblance as well as her weapon, she shot from the ground into the air; once again leaving rose petals in her wake.

Ruby ended up landing just about in the middle of about seven Faunus; all of them of different types and wearing the regular attire of the White Fang with the emblem on their chests.. The largest was a burly man that had bear ears and carried a very large ax; which he used to try and smash the Huntress once she was on solid ground. Moving to the side quickly, she swung her scythe to send three of the terrorists flying in an effort to weed out the weaker enemies. The larger Faunus brought his ax down once again and it thudded hard against the ground; which caused a part of the roof to collapse. Two of the White Fang fell into the hole while Ruby and the larger one stood on opposite sides; glaring at one another. One of the remaining Faunus raised his blaster rifle at the young woman and opened fire as he stood on the ledge; his shots deflected by a quick swing of the scythe. Astounded, he just stood there with his mouth agape until he was shot in the back by blaster fire from below; falling forward into the hole.

"Just you and me little girl," said the large Faunus in a deep voice as he grinned at her and taped the hilt part of his ax against palm.

"Why are you still working for Adam? All he's doing is getting you killed by either the Empire or the Grimm master he serves," inquired Ruby as she gave him a hard stare and ignored the shouting from below. It sounded like more Imperial troops had arrived and were dealing with the other terrorists.

"We are fighting for our freedom from you humans; whether you be from Remnant or from the stars above. If we have to serve that Grimm Queen Bitch to get rid of you all then so much the better," answered the man as he snarled at the Huntress; who did not like that answer in the slightest.

"Then you are no better than the Grimm and need to be taken out; just like her since lives mean nothing to you," stated the silver-eyed warrior as her she got into battle stance. As far as she was concerned now, the Faunus was like the Grimm and needed to be hunted.

Both leapt into the air at the same time; their weapons clashing with a loud clang as they passed one another. With such a tight space, Ruby was at a disadvantage and she had to dodge quickly the swing from behind her of the ax; it barely missing the Huntress's backside as she used her semblance to push herself forward. Turning her body as quickly as she could, Ruby brought her Crescent Rose to bear as he came upon her with surprising speed. Pulling the trigger, she met another oncoming blow of the man's weapon and another loud clang could be heard as each stood their ground in an attempt to one up the other. Using her strength, Ruby attempted to shove back the Faunus so that she could get another swing in but she found she couldn't make him budge; him smiling down at her as he knew there was nothing she could do. The Faunus then began to move forward in an effort to push her back. Taking a risk, Ruby pulled the trigger of her weapon and the kickback caused them both to lose their stances. The risk paid off since the Faunus lost his weapon and fell to his knees; which she then moved to take advantage of.

That was when the rest of the roof collapsed and both fell into the hole. Ruby managed to land on top of the man who had been shot in the back from earlier; the Faunus quite dead. Moving off of him as fast as she could, she rolled to grab her Crescent Rose while her opponent rose while retrieving his ax. The room they had fallen into was what remained of a shop with rubble everywhere caused by the destruction of the battle; the air heavy with dust as well as the light of the sun illuminating it from above. Before he could make his move, Ruby went at the Faunus with a swing of her scythe; going for a downward arc in order to make a stabbing motion. While she had missed his body, she did make a deep cut into his other arm which caused the man to yell out in pain. Roaring in anger, he lashed out with the injured arm and smacked the young woman in the chest; sending her flying as it impacted her aura. With her weapon still in her hand, she kicked off the wall and raised the blade of her scythe until it resembled a spear; flying back at the Faunus. Her move paid off as she stabbed the Crescent Rose into the left side of his chest and then pulling it out as she kicked off of him.

As she stood there and breathed slightly heavily as he fell to the ground with a loud thud; a group of Imperial troops stormed into the building.

"FREEZE!" they yelled at Ruby with their weapons drawn.

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	8. A Father's Love

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **I again want to thank all those who continue to follow this story and it's your comments that drive me to keep writing. One of the questions that have been asked is when this takes place in the Star Wars Universe- Legends EU specifically. This story does take place One Year before Yavin; though Remnant is far from the battles between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. Also, this fic is only Part One of a Two-Part Series so expect a sequel when this story is finished.**

 **I do want feedback this chapter since it features some pretty heavy Taiyang and Qrow scenes; I feel that Yang and Ruby's father is not given enough screen time despite his potential so you will see him more in this fic in later chapters with Ruby. I also am still inquiring on a Beta since there are probably errors that the spell &grammar check do miss.**

Yang was waiting for them as they descended from the transport.

As Blake and Sun came into view, the Faunus gave her bag to the other and then went to embrace her fiancé.

It had been a long trip coming back from Mistral; much longer than what it had been before the Imperial Occupation. While travel via airships still happened on Remnant, it was only available to those who passed background checks and other forms of authentication; also needing to pay more. In the past, there had been a variety of companies that offered travel between the Kingdoms though now there was just one; based in Atlas like other loyalist corporations that offered their services to the Empire. Airships also never took a direct path to their destinations anymore, having to travel on a preconceived path provided by the occupational authorities. Any alteration of this route would cause the pilots much grief and could even get them shot down if they ventured too close to an Imperial military base; though that has yet to happen. The one plus was that those traveling via the air no longer had to worry about nevermores as well as other flying Grimm since Tie Fighters often patrolled the airways. It was said that the ships in orbit often used their guns to clear nests of the creatures if found.

"How was the trip?" Yang asked her partner; eyeing the pair of stormtroopers walking out of the transport to their buddies. The port was an awash of activity with the Imperial presence felt quite heavily; even though Patch didn't have that much of a force.

"Okay; was surprised that the Imps left us alone despite us being Faunus," Blake answered as they headed to the exit. It was only about an hour walk to the house though they needed to pick some things up in town.

"Well that is surprising given what happened in Vacuo yesterday," the blonde said Sun joined their side with both he and Blake's luggage in his hands. Normally he would have been annoyed at having to carry their things if it weren't for being the norm now.

"What happened? All we get now for inflight entertainment are crappy movies and cartoons," Sun stated as he walked behind them; giving the couple a chance to catch up. He was inkling to get in contact with his own girlfriend who was a nurse in Vale.

"The White Fang attacked a market square full of stormtroopers and civilians in Vacuo City; no word on how many dead and there isn't much info coming out of the city because it is on lockdown," Yang explained as they held up their id cards to the security officials at the checkpoint before they could enter town. While the officials were local and just doing their jobs, there was a stormtrooper in his white armor off to the side.

"Damn him! This is what I was talking about; all Adam is doing is making our job harder and giving the Imperials credence to promote their rule. I think I might have to seize power before he does something really stupid," the Faunus girlfriend snarled as she shook her head at the news; talking quietly once they were out of earshot. Though it was late in the day and very little activity on the streets, she still had to be careful.

"I know; Uncle Qrow is attempting to get ahold of one of his contacts inside the city to get more information though it's hard since he is still be monitored by the Empire. One of their probe droids has been making passes by the house and it's getting hard not to blow that sucker out of the sky," stated the blonde with an evil smile while clenching her fists. The first time it appeared, she nearly activated her Ember Cecelia and attacked it while she had been sparring with her father.

"Please don't; the last thing we need is to have you arrested because our friends won't come next week if they think you are compromised," Blake told her fiancé while grabbing her hand as they approached the local grocery store. The town was rather self-sufficient so shortages were never an issue though some things still had to be brought from the mainland; which the Empire surprisingly never interfered with.

"I know, I know; like I said, it's just a little hard. They'll go away once they think my Uncle is no longer a threat. Dads got him doing housework to show the Imps that there is nothing to see; he also forbade him from drinking while in the house," informed the blonde as they stepped into the shop and grabbed a basket.

Though smaller than what was seen in Vale, the store still had everything one needed to cook about any mainstream dish they wanted. While the island wasn't that large compared other habitable locations outside the mainland, Patch had a good amount of farmland to grow food while some of the more exotic ingredients had to be imported from the other kingdoms. The building was also rather old fashioned as well with hardwood floors and walls though the furnishings were all modern; rows of shelves and refrigerators lining the aisles of the store where a few people were now shopping. Yang had been coming here for years to get food for her and Ruby while there father was working since she often cooked for the two of them on those nights Taiyang couldn't make it home in time. One of her earliest memories though was coming with Summer while she had been pregnant with Ruby when they shopped for their family dinners; as well as buy things to make her cookies.

"That has to have gone over well; I don't think I've seen your Uncle when he is actually completely sober," Blake said as she grabbed a couple of oranges from the fruit stall and put them in the basket while Yang went for a carton of milk.

"I didn't think that was even possible; I always wondered why he drank so much," Sun remarked since he only had a few discussions with the Uncle. While the older Hunter had always been gruff and friendly, the Faunus got the impression that there was a dark past that was known only to a few.

"It's complicated; even I don't know the whole story and neither my Father nor Uncle will talk about it since it involves their old Team. It's best just to not wonder about it," was all that the blonde said as she got a few more items. Once that was done, she went to the counter to pay and they left the shop for home.

As they headed home, with Sun staying in one of the tiny guest rooms, they chatted about random events that had taken place while the two had been separated. While she had been traveling to Mistral for the White Fang meeting, Blake had recorded every checkpoint as well as the locations where the Imperials had set up base; getting as close as she could without her and Sun being detected. While they hadn't been harassed by any of the Imperial so to speak, there were more than a few Atlas personnel in the mix that made the two feel uncomfortable; probably due to the fact that all Faunus were viewed as responsible for what happened at Beacon. It didn't help that the White Fang were responsible for nearly all the terrorist attacks on Remnant since the occupation started though it was strange that the Empire didn't regard her race as a threat and just exterminate them as some in Atlas had called for; though she had a good suspicion on why that might be the case. Unlike Yang, Blake didn't fully condemn Weiss for siding with the Empire because of her family; understand that there were good people fighting for their occupiers for justified reasons. She suspected that Weiss was shielding the Faunus from the wrath of the Empire; though she didn't know for sure given that they had not talked in years.

"We're home!" Yang called out as they entered the back door to the house; just as the sun began to set on the horizon. They were greeted to the sight of Taiyang and Qrow sitting at the table with their faces serious.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked, concerned as both she and Yang put the bags of groceries on the counter next to the refrigerator.

"My guy in Vacuo had some info about that attack which happened yesterday; it seems that the White Fang were defeated by a third party," informed Qrow as he looked to be nursing a cup of coffee. Since Taiyang had forbid him from drinking for a while, the older Hunter had taken to coffee as an alternative.

"So probably an Imperial Huntsman; we know they are out there," Yang said as she appeared confused; not understanding what the big deal was.

"The third party is reported to be wielding a scythe and leaving rose petals in her wake as she fights," informed the Uncle grimly and all three younger Hunter's eyes widened at the news; knowing full well who they were talking about.

"Ruby," whispered the blonde as she leaned against the counter and looked down at the floor; guilt and pain quite evident in her voice. In response, Blake walked over and took ahold of her fiancé's hand for emotional support.

"Why is she in Vacuo?" Sun inquired; also clearly surprised by the news. While he wasn't privy to why Ruby Rose had left Patch and her family, he knew enough that it was a sore subject with everyone.

"Apparently she's been doing odd jobs while going from place to place; also, Qrow's guy says that she is a registered Imperial Huntress," Taiyang told the group with his voice a mix of emotions. Truthfully, he was just happy that she was alright and wanted to leave for Vacuo to find her; and to bring her home.

"Ruby is fighting for the Empire," the blonde said; more as a statement than a question. All of them could hear the slight angry tone in her voice with her father narrowing his eyes.

"Your sister is training so that she can accomplish her goal and is doing what she can to survive on her own. So I don't care if she is a registered Imperial Huntress as long as I know she is managing to take care of herself," Taiyang sternly told his older daughter though Sun noted that he had shot a sharp look at Qrow as well. Yang just glared back while the Uncle just stared into his drink; guilt quite evident on his face.

"Ruby's goal is a pipe dream; she should be here with us than galloping around Remnant training for something she can't accomplish," the blonde shot back as she stared intently at her father; who met her stare with one of his own.

"Ruby is like her mother; someone who goes after something until she gets it. It isn't up to you or me to sway her from something noble; all we can do is help when we can," chastened the older man to his daughter and Qrow looked up at his teammate in surprise; not expecting that from the Hunter.

"You got to be kidding me; Salem is nothing but small fry compared to the Empire. They have to be our first priority," Yang argued; refusing to relent to her father. Blake and Sun just stayed silent since they had mixed feelings about the whole thing.

"Salem is the person who murdered Summer and was behind what happened at Beacon; just because you see the Empire as the major threat doesn't mean that others do. I understand where you are coming from but you also have to understand where your sister is as well," Taiyang stressed to the blonde; the latter part a little gentler in tone. Ever since he had learned the truth about what happened to Summer; he was a mix of emotions on what he should do.

"There will always be Grimm; what's the point?" the blonde asked with her tone greatly deflated. Blake could also hear the guilt in her voice and gave the blonde a tight squeeze of her hand.

"Because it's the right thing to do; which I should have learned a long time ago when your sister left on her quest. This is why I am going to Vacuo tomorrow and find your sister before she leaves; catching up to her if that happens," the father announced adamantly to the group and the surprised looks from everyone would have been priceless if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation.

And before anyone could say anything, he left the table to go pack; Qrow rising from his seat a few minutes later to follow the man.

"Are you sure about this?" Qrow asked after stepping into Taiyang's room and watching his former teammate thrown some things into a bag. Looking around, he wasn't surprised to see that the room was so clean and noted the pictures of the various people in their lives on the dresser; including one of Tai, Summer, and the children that had been taken shortly before Summer's last mission.

"You can't go and Yang's plans are too important for her to do so; Ruby is my daughter and she needs me. Truthfully, I should have done this a while ago," answered Taiyang as she walked over to grab another bag. He knew he would probably be gone a while so he needed to take everything he would need for the journey to Vacuo.

"But what do you plan to do when you catch up to Ruby? You know she won't come back with you to Patch," stated the Branwen as he unconsciously reached for his alcohol; remembering that it wasn't on him and that he wasn't allowed to drink in the house. Right now he really wished he could take a swig from anything given that some pretty nasty emotions were starting to come to the surface at the moment.

"I plan to support her; even if that means joining her on this quest of hers," the blonde firmly said and Qrow's eyes once again widened; surprised by the sudden attitude from the other Hunter.

"No offense, but you haven't fought a real fight in a long time and going up against Salem like Ruby plans is going to get you killed," Qrow told the other Hunter though he could sympathize; remembering all the times he wanted to go after the Queen of the Grimm.

"Or the extra backup can help Ruby; which she needs right now. My daughter has spent too much time alone out there and she needs her father looking out for her. Yang has Blake and her friends right now; not to mention yourself though you need to quit drinking so much. Ruby is alone and it will do her no good to do this all by herself," Taiyang argued as he retrieved his stash of lien from his lockbox as well as his supply of combat dust; hidden a secret place that the Empire never found.

"You're going to need help getting through all the checkpoints quickly if you plan to get to her in time; I might be able to contact someone here in Vale to help speed up the process," stated the other Hunter but his friend just shook his head; holding up a small card with galactic basic on it.

"Got this a while back when I thought about just heading out to look for Ruby when we got that postcard from her stamped Taipei; it was a gift from a friend," informed as he showed Qrow the passport giving him authorization to go anywhere on Remnant without issue.

"Am I guessing that all those times you went drinking with Glynda and the rest of the Beacon staff paid off?" inquired Qrow as he took the passport and studied it; surprised to see one of these in person. He had heard of them being issued to those who worked in the various branches of the Government but never saw one up close.

"If you had done the same instead of telling every Imperial you saw off, then you might be in a position to get around better instead of sneaking. Contrary to what you think Qrow, you are more similar to your sister than you believe," stated Taiyang as he gave the man one of his looks that he often gave his daughters when he was trying to make a point. Qrow often found that annoying given that he was not a child; so to speak.

"And what is that supposed to mean? I am not like Raven in any way; I don't abandon family like she did," Qrow angrily pointed out to his former teammate as he tossed the passport onto the bed where the rest of the things were. Though it had been years since any of them had last seen Raven, the subject of her was still a tense issue.

"Not all of Raven was bad and there are traits in Yang that I am glad come from your sister; what I am saying is that you and she have a tendency to jump into things without looking for a second to see if there is a better way. I think you spent too much time out there alone and you have forgotten what it is like to be part of a team. While I will always admire Ozpin and everything he tried to do everyone, I think he utilized you a little too much along with Summer," the blonde huntsman told his friend as he zipped up one of the bags and went to pack the other. His tone wasn't one of condemnation but gentle criticism.

"I am now starting to get why all the ladies go to you rather than me; used to think it was the muscles and the smile," the other Hunter said gruffly as he remembered how Taiyang always seemed to be able to get a date back at Beacon. While neither Raven nor Summer had dated the blonde huntsman back then, he seemed to still attract their admiration to some degree; which was probably why both became involved with him later in their lives.

"It's called listening Qrow; you should try it sometime instead of drinking so much. Besides, I think that Specialist from Atlas is right up your alley. Not only can she match your fighting, both your tempers seem to be rather compatible," Taiyang joked with a small laugh; which earned a hard glare from the other man.

"That's not funny; Winter Schnee is an arrogant, stuck-up, pain in the ass that is typical for her family. Why Ruby ever got along with her younger sister is beyond me," Qrow said with a scowl as he mentally recounted all the times his encounters with the woman had turned sour. The last thing he had heard about her was that she was serving as a liaison between the Imperials and the regular Atlas troops; who were more or less policeman nowadays.

"Weiss and Winter are victims of their bastard father; you should know that more than anyone else. Ruby thought of, and still thinks, Weiss is her friend and partner and I would not doubt that Weiss believes the same. Just because they are Schnee who happen to be children of Remnant's worst parent is not a reason to condemn them. Besides, if I recall correctly, you were the instigator all those fights with Winter because of your attitude. That is why Summer gave you the silent treatment on more than one occasion and Raven smacked you upside the head," Taiyang pointed out as he finished the last of his packing; only bringing two bags since it was more than enough for the trip.

"Summer was a great person and she always forgave; no matter what we all did. I think she even forgave Raven after she left you and Yang. I wish she was still here; she might have made sense of things in this crazy world we now live in," Qrow stated with a guilty tone of voice; staring out the window into the night sky.

"Summer was the best of us; she incorporated that into Ruby which is why I need to go out there and be there for her. Yang is a grown up now and I am proud of the woman she has become; hoping that her and Blake are able to raise a family at some point in time," Taiyang said as he sat down on his bed next to his former teammate.

""Yang will do fine; Blake will be there to keep her temper in check and not do anything stupid with this rebellion they are planning. I think they are wrong though on the Imperials being the only threat; Salem is a monster who is playing a long game right now which is why I am worried that she has been too quiet. Those White Fang jerks and Cinder's people are just scapegoats as long as she is concerned and I would not be surprised if they were just a distraction for things to come," put forth the raven-haired Hunter; a slight twinge of uneasiness in his body. While he was fully supportive of the couple's plans, he did feel that they were narrowing the threat to the planet.

"Which again is why I need to be out there with my daughter since Ruby does understand that threat. I also want to avenge Summer to dish out a little justice to all those that Grimm Bitch taken," the blonde Hunter said with some bitterness in his voice. While he grieved when Raven left, he was practically broken when Summer died; which he was grateful when Qrow stepped up to the plate to help take care of the girls while he needed to sort things out.

"Speaking of which; I've been hearing whispers of bandits attacking Imperial convoys from here to Vacuo. There is a chance you might encounter Raven in your travels which is why I think I should warn you not to lower your guard around her. This is not the woman you fell for back then and I shudder to think how far she will go to survive now," Qrow warned the other man as he walked around the room to the exit.

"I've always known that I would encounter Raven again at some point in my life; though I had always hoped it was because she wanted to be a mother to Yang again. If I see her, then I should be ready for her," stated the other Hunter as he placed his gauntlets next to the bed; planning to slip them on when he left in the morning.

"And if she comes at you?" asked the male Branwen twin; curious to what the answer was.

"Raven never beat me in a fight back in the old days; here's hoping that trend is still a factor for today," Taiyang said with a frown; really hoping that was the case.

Yang really didn't need both her parents killing one another.

 **Please Read and Review!**


	9. Coming Home

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of it

 **I know I sound like a broken record but I want to again thank all those who still follow this story; I try to keep the updates regularly but with the slightly longer chapters compared to my other fics, it takes a while to write them. I also want to emphasize that I use primarily the "Legends" material from the Star Wars Expanded Universe though you will see tidbits from the official Disney Canon; though be advised that I am not fond of all the new lore that takes place after Endor so expect stuff that takes place before the Battle of Yavin.**

 **I will be using a major Character from the "Legends" Universe in this chapter; a person who is one of my all-time favorite characters though he only makes a cameo in this story.**

 **Many of you have asked if I will include characters from Rebels and I might use them when things come to a head on Remnant. Also, to SSDConker- yeah I was inspired by Rogue One and thank you for liking that scene. Also, I still need a beta so if you are interested, let me know!**

Weiss liked viewing hyperspace.

As she sat in the darkness of her quarters, the young woman was almost mesmerized and felt at peace.

It had been a week since she had left Coruscant; her father staying to finish some last minute business. Not only had the SDC had been awarded the Imperial Contract to provide Paladin 300s to the Army, they also had been granted its first off-world site; a planet called Zhar in the Outer Rim. From what her father told her, he had already ordered personnel and dust to be sent to the world to establish a facility; having been given transports by the Empire. Weiss was being sent back to oversee the movement of their property and to act as CEO in his stead; part of her duties as future leader of the company. It was something that she had done before on occasion, when the elder Schnee was in deep negotiations with the Imperials on things related to the SDC and needed to devote his full attention. She managed to do a rather good job given that he never complained and she knew enough people by now that Weiss could effectively get things done without giving her father a call; also managing to create a few good relationships with some high level Imperials.

Her father had found time to give her a proper sendoff; not to mention Moff Kaine as well who seemed more than impressed with her. In fact, Weiss had gotten more than a few invitations from those in power the next time she was on Coruscant; her being somewhat of a celebrity among the upper echelons. Even Grand Admiral Thrawn had sent her a message promising to look her up if he was ever in the sector; wanting to discuss important things. The biggest surprise though was being contacted by Darth Vader; who informed her that the Emperor was more than willing to use her services for the Empire in a future date. Weiss wasn't sure what to think about that other than it was a probably a good idea that she keep training herself; just in case she was called upon for some sort of mission. Before she boarded the shuttle, her father had actually praised her for once; even saying that she was benefiting the Schnee name. Weiss had nearly laughed in his face given the fact that he was not a natural Schnee, having married into the family, but she bit her lip and accepted the praise; though she did feel a sense of happiness because of it. While Morgan was her father, Weiss had very little affection for the man; giving him a lackluster hug before setting off for orbit.

When both Weiss and her father left Remnant for Coruscant, they had traveled to the Imperial Capital aboard an old _Venator_ -class Star Destroyer. This time, the young woman had the honor of heading home in an _Imperia II_ -class Star Destroyer called the _Chimera_ ; which was escorting a small convoy to Remnant for the deployment of materials and other equipment. The Captain, a man named Gilad Pellaeon, had respectfully greeted her and allowed her access to most of the ship; though out of courtesy Weiss had stayed in her quarters unless she was hungry. While she had no problem eating with the other officers, though they tended to stay away from her, the young woman usually took her meals back to her quarters to eat alone. When she wasn't eating or sleeping, Weiss would practice with her Myrtenaster in her rather spacious room; also reading from the materials she had acquired from the capital and going over reports detailing what had transpired with the SDC back home. It seemed that the White Fang and other bandits were raiding their dust convoys again; going for the ones that were not protected by the Imperials since they were going to smaller areas of the planet.

Her quarters were designed for visiting dignitaries; thus she had more than enough room as well as furnishings that even officers did not have. The color scheme was typical of military warships and was not glamorous in any way; though it was well kept and spotless when she had moved her things in. The carpet was a dark grey and the walls were of the same color with a type of plastic insulation that covered the durasteel hull; also barren of any décor. Aside from the large bed with sheets that matched the color of the rest of the room, she had a medium size table with three chairs and a holo table for some entertainment; Weiss using it to go over things about the various worlds of the Empire as well as any useful information on Imperial politics. Like the apartment back on Coruscant, she was once again treated to her own private bathroom; though this one was less fancy and smaller. While she had a toilet and sink that came with the basics, though she used her own things, the shower stall was a bit claustrophobic and the water tended to be only luke warm as well as light in the pressure. After showering more than a few hours ago, Weiss sat in one of the chairs to go over things.

Deciding she needed a break from the isolation of her room, Weiss decided to make a courtesy call to the bridge.

With her weapon at her hip, the young woman made sure to freshen up in the bathroom; neglecting her jewelry. Instead of her purple dress that she had worn for the trip during special events, Weiss adorned her light blue combat dress she had worn back at Beacon. Though it had been some time that she had dressed in that particular attire, she felt more at peace with herself in it since it reminded her of happier times; when she had been training to be a Huntress along with the rest of her old team. Opening the door to her room, Weiss stepped out into the hallway and nodded to the officers as she passed them; heading to the turbolift that lay at the end that was guarded by a pair of black-clad solders. While they were not dressed in the standard stormtrooper armor she was used to seeing on the surface, they were wearing back helmets though no visors covered their faces. Nodding to them as she passed them to get into the lift, Weiss pressed the button for the bridge; her being the only occupant in the small space. It was about a minute or two before the doors opened once again; bringing her to the bustling of another hallway though there were numerous personnel going about their duties.

"Excuse me; could you ask Captain Pellaeon if I have his permission to enter the bridge?" Weiss asked a young green-clad officer as he passed her; on his way to the bridge itself. The young man nodded and disappeared inside; the Huntress patiently waiting for an answer.

"The Captain has given his permission," stated the officer once he had returned and Weiss then followed him onto the bridge.

While the Venator they had traveled on had quite a spacious bridge, Weiss was amazed that this class of Star Destroyer was more so. Looking around, she saw that the central pathway was above where the ship's personnel worked with steps leading down into the lower area; much like the Venator though and there were still consoles at various locations around the bridge. There were massive glass windows that gave a nice view of the outside, which was currently just hyperspace, and they seemed to go around the bridge so that one could see all that was around the ship. It had been explained to her that the vital part of the ship was protected by powerful shields; which was understood since they were front and center for any attacking vessels. There was a great deal of sounds that could be heard from the activity in the room such as the beeping of consoles to the quite conversations from the personnel; though none of it seemed casual from what she could overhear. As she walked slowly towards Captian Pellaeon, who had his back to her, she noted that her presence was sparking curiosity with the bridge crew; especially given that she seemed to be the only female in the room.

"Ms. Schnee; welcome to the bridge of the _Chimera_. I trust your journey has been pleasant?" greeted the Imperial Captain. Though he seemed younger than her father, there was some grey to his mustache as well as his hair.

"Yes is has Captain Pellaeon and I thank you for your hospitality in transporting me back home; though I hope this side trip did not take you too far away from your usual duties," Weiss inquired politely with a slight curtsey. Given that she was a guest aboard his ship and Remnant was a good ways away from any active field of operations, she believed anyways, she felt that she needed to express her appreciation to the man.

"It is not a problem Ms. Schnee; most of our routes are simply patrols to deal with pirates and rebels. This is simply a much needed rest for the crew and a chance to give some cadets training for future operations," explained the Captain as he stood in front of the young woman with his hands behind his back. Weiss had met people who had served in the military all their lives and Pellaeon was one of those as she observed through his mannerisms; though she never inquired into his background.

"Well I thank all the same; are we still due to arrive today?" asked the Huntress as she turned her head to look outside.

"Why yes we are; in fact you have good timing since we should be emerging from hyperspace in about ten minutes. You are welcome to stay and view the emergence; your shuttle should be ready soon afterwards," informed the Imperial Officer as they walked a few steps forward to get a better look of the outside.

"Thank you and I will accept your invitation. Will you be staying long in the system once the convoy has deposited it's cargo? I would like to treat you and your crew to the wonders of Remnant," the Huntress offered Pellaeon with a smile. While her offer was genuine at its core, she also was trying to make some new friends among the Imperial Navy; just in case she needed a favor later.

"I'm afraid not; once we are done escorting the convoy and replenish our supplies, we are due to set course for the southern rim of the galaxy to join up with a new fleet being brought together for a new mission. I do thank you for your generosity though and maybe I can take you up on that offer someday," Pellaeon said with a bow; smiling in return. He then left her to attend his duties while Weiss watched the coming view her spot in front of one of the large windows.

The young woman was amazed that she felt nothing as the ship emerged from hyperspace ten minutes later; the stars suddenly appearing in front of her as if they were coming at her. Once they had emerged, Weiss was able to see the other ships in the convoy; a mixture of smaller freighters that carried materials and other goods with the largest being an _Acclimator_. In front of them was Remnant and it's broken moon; seemingly getting bigger as they approached. When Weiss first got to see the moon up close with her father about a month ago, she was astounded on how much it truly was fractured because of some unknown reason. From her vantage point as they passed the large celestial body, Weiss could see the activity on the moon in terms of the base that was located there; not to mention the tie fighters patrolling. The Empire had set up a major monitoring installation to view all incoming traffic though that was very few in number at the moment. It wasn't a large installation from what she understood and only house a couple of hundred personnel; also scientists studying the moon itself. According to reports, there were large deposits of dust found and her father was already making plans to harvest it.

It was when they got closer to the planet that Weiss got a good look at the Fleet protecting as well as enforcing the Imperial control of remnant.

Unlike the fleets of ships that she had viewed when she had been in the Core, mostly Coruscant and other stopovers, the one over Remnant was made up of older classes of ships. About thirty capital ships in all, the bulk of the fleet was made up of _Venators_ with a few _Victory II_ -class Star Destroyers and three _Imperial I_ -class. Aside from the dagger shaped vessels, there were a small group of _Carrick and Lancer ships_ that acted as escort vessels; usually staying close to the bigger vessels. The most powerful ship though was the _Praetor II_ Battlecruiser that served as the command ship to the fleet and was called _The Pride of Kuat_ ; where the ship had been built years before. It was currently in her line of sight and with a few of the _Venators_ next to her; one on each side of the large vessel with another in front. The rest of the fleet seemed to be scattered throughout the orbit of the planet so that it could act to any activity considered a threat; though no Grimm could make it to space to be considered one and the White Fang as well as Cinder's organization lacked the resources to even make it past the tie fighters. There had been talk of adding a few _Golans_ as fixed defenses for the planet; though nothing had yet come of it.

Only her father and other high level native-born people had been aboard the command ship; the occasional guests to the Imperial Admiral that basically ruled Remnant in the Emperor's name and had final say on all matters on the planet. She had met Admiral Husk on a few occasions and considered the man more as a bureaucrat than a military officer. Though he always seemed pleasant to Weiss, she could see the ambition as well as manipulation in his eyes and found that she could not let her guard down around him even for a second. Though he was tall, he was a bit chubby and his uniform was often disheveled; as if he didn't care to keep it pressed like other Imperial Officers. He had short hair though not receding, had brown eyes, and his skin was tanned as well as a little hairy. He also seemed to spend a lot of his time looking over paperwork and, from what she head from other officers, never on the bridge of his ship; leaving all duties to his Captain who was lucky to be more of a military veteran. He did come planetside every now and then to indulge his whims, which was fancy parties and fine wine, though he did compose himself and not cause any trouble. One of the interesting things was that he found Faunus fascinating; thus she considered him an ally of sorts in protecting the race from the bigots like her father and his friends.

It was about an hour when her shuttle was ready to depart; which her things had been packed by then. Captain Pellaeon had seen her off and wished her well; which she thanked him for and even told him that she would send up a little gift package for him as well as the crew. She had already been texting Klein instructions by the time the shuttle had left the hanger to head towards the planet; who greeted her return to Remnant. As expected, he had sent her tons of data so that she could get caught up on the events during her absence; which had some nuggets that caught her interest. As the shuttle entered the atmosphere and had come under the escort of a group of Tie Fighters, seven in all, she read that Mercury Black had been apprehended by Imperial Authorities and was now being help aboard _The Pride of Kuat_ for interrogation. While she disapproved of the practice of enhanced interrogation methods, especially those of the Empire, Weiss made an exception in this case given how Mercury had part to play in what happened at Beacon four years ago. While there had yet to be specifics on what information had been yielded, which she had yet to have access to, she hoped it that it would lead to the capture of Cinder Fall.

That would be one execution she would watch with great enthusiasm.

It was about five minutes before the sight of Atlas came into view; the tall towers appearing as they broke the clouds. The main city had gone through a bit of renovation in a short amount of time since the Empire had taken over; with many new buildings being constructed to accommodate the new state of things. While the setup of the city more or less remained the same, with the civilian areas surrounding the military ones, there were more skyscrapers now in the center and were even spreading to the residential sections to allow a larger population; having the ability to move up because of new construction practices. With the introduction of air vehicles, there were less cars on the roads clogging up traffic now; only available to the elite so far and under heavy regulation. Though Atlas has a good amount of farmland on the edge on the city that was still in full use, hydroponic farms were now being built beyond the city's borders now that the Grimm had more or less been cleared; thus new towns were coming forth for the first time in a long while. The plan was to set up a type of metropolitan style environment to connect Atlas to Mantle; which was also being renovated as well. So far, the roads that connected the two cities were being increased as well as new rail lines for bullet trains using hover technology.

One of the major things was the construction of Remnant's first real spaceport; which had been one of the first things to be added to the city. The structure was a flat metal rectangular platform with multiple landing pads on the edges for smaller transports such as shuttles; accommodating both military and civilian craft. The center of the structure was actually three long runways that could allow larger vessels to land; such as _Venators_ , _Acclimators_ , and other heavier transports for the offloading of troops as well as cargo. Each landing pad had its own tower and a smaller dome like building on the right side of the structure that operated as a command and control center to coordinate all activity in the spaceport. While other areas of Remnant built by the Imperials were often guarded by their forces, the spaceport was under the joint protection of Atlas regular forces and the Imperial Army; with both knights and stormtroopers patrolling the perimeter. Overhead, the Atlas fleet was still active with their ships providing air support in the unlikely event that an enemy tried to attack; both terrorist and Grimm.

Given that it was better to beep Atlas's natural mountain barrier intact, the spaceport had been constructed on the other side of one of the mountain ranges with tunnels connecting it to the city; burrowed through the mountain itself. On the mountain range was a series of turbo laser towers, sensors, and even landing pads for Ties; also garrisons of stormtroopers. The main headquarters for the old Atlas Government and military headquarters also had weapon emplacements added with hangers for various Imperial vehicles. The academy that trained Atlas Hunters was still there, still allowing the teaching of Hunters and Huntresses though they now fought the enemies of the Empire along with Grimm. It was said that some would soon be sent out into the galaxy in order to fight alongside the stormtroopers since their abilities would provide an advantage on the battlefield. The academy also now allowed the recruitment of those who wanted to join the Imperial Military; both the Navy and the Army with staff being brought in from the Core. So far, it was those who had yet to unlock their auras that made up most of the new recruits though some Hunters now made up their ranks.

Heading to one of the landing pads, Weiss could see an AT-AT walking around the perimeter of the spaceport; leaving tracks in the snow as it continued to come down upon the area.

The shuttle touched down upon the landing pad, its bottom wings folding upwards as it landed on the flat metal surface. Rising from her seat, Weiss nodded to the pair of stormtroopers that had acted as her guards and she headed to the exit that was now lowering; grabbing her things as she moved. Unlike the atmosphere of Coruscant that had the feel as well as smell of being artificial, Weiss felt refreshed at the natural smell of being back home. The cold winter air came upon her face and her breath could be seen in the air which made her smile; with it starting to snow again. Descending the landing pad, he had a reception waiting for her with Winter standing there not too far away; her white uniform neatly pressed. Behind her was a pair of Atlas Knights as well as more stormtroopers; though they had snow armor on. While she stood at attention with her hands clasped behind her back, she had a reassuring smile on her face that showed the younger sister that the military officer was here to greet her return and not in any official capacity. Winter currently held ranks both in the Atlas military as well as the Imperial Army; a rarity on Remnant with her still as a Specialist and now a Colonel as well. This meant that she could command troops in both forces; having done so on occasion.

"Welcome home sister," greeted the older Schnee as she stepped forward to embrace her younger sister. Her appearance hadn't changed over the years though she did look a lot older; not to mention a few more scars from the various battles she had participated in.

"Winter! It's great to see you; you didn't have to come and meet me," Weiss said to the other woman as one of the escorting troops grabbed Weiss's bag from her. They then followed the sisters as they headed to the elevator.

"Nonsense; I was in the city and felt that it was only natural to welcome you home after a month away. I trust your journey was enjoyable?" inquired Winter while they rode the lift to the lower level.

"It was; the Imperial Capital was amazing and I got tons of pictures that I can show you. I also met some very important people and impressed them with my skills," answered Weiss in an almost giddy tone of voice. Winter was bemused by her sister and gave a slight chuckle; reminding her that despite Weiss being a young adult now, she was still full of life.

"I look forward to seeing them; I imagine Father has been successful in his endeavors given that he is not with you?" inquired the young Specialist as the doors to the lift opened and they once again entered the cold environment. They would have to travel some more distance to reach the train back to the city.

"Pretty much; not sure if you were told but the Schnee Dust Company has been allowed to expand to another world. I am to gather staff and equipment to send as well as run things until he returns," informed the younger sister professionally; not wanting to talk about the subject all that much to Winter. While her sister never indicated that she was resentful for Weiss being the official heir to the company and family, the Huntress never made a point to talk about it to her as well.

"A great responsibility and I am proud that you have been finally given a chance to prove yourself without his shadow to burden you. I would advise you to take advantage of your temporary powers to impress those in charge; it would go a long way for you," stated Winter in all sincerity; trying to encourage her sister.

To say that Winter had a troubled relationship with her father was saying it lightly; especially after she had been more or less kicked out of the family many years ago. Originally, she had been heir to the SCD Throne and been the pride of the family in terms of intelligence and her skills as a Huntress. Morgan would show her off at his parties and was grooming her all the time to one day take the reins of the family. However, Winder had a secret desire to join the military and hone her skills as a warrior; not having any desire to follow her in her father's footsteps. One night after having a major fight with Morgan, Winter had ran away and joined the military; which caused her to be permanently kicked out of the family and striped of her inheritance. It was then that Weiss had been declared heir and then groomed to take the throne. For years, neither the first born daughter nor father had spoken until the Empire took control of Remnant; thus they had been forced to become allies. Both were supporters of the Imperial Occupation and Winter held a lot of respect with the Imperial Command Staff. Winter though still hated her father and loved her sister so she did her best to make sure that Weiss would be in position one day to seize her own destiny from their father.

"All I want to do is make life better for the people of Remnant; whether they be Faunus or Human. I'll play the game but for them; not our family," Weiss told her sister as they then boarded the train to Atlas. They headed to the back where the private carriages were located; giving them more privacy.

"Very noble of you; Grandfather would be proud. I also have some news that might be of interest to you," informed the older sister after they entered one of the compartments which feature to chairs facing eachother. Their escort stayed outside to give them privacy as well as protection; though one never needed it here.

"What is that; I've gotten all the reports on the state of things," Weiss said while she looked at her sister in somewhat confusion. She had skimmed through the reports though nothing major had popped out at her.

"There was a terrorist attack in Vacuo that was thwarted by an Imperial Huntress who happened to be in the area. She saved the lives of Imperial Troops on patrol as well as the son of a high level Admiral back in the Core. I believe you know this person," informed Winter again with a slight smile; though more as a statement than a question. She held up a datapad that contained a single photo on it; showing it to her sister.

"Ruby," was all Weiss whispered as she stared at the photo of her old partner; whome she had not seen in years. Her heart instantly warmed and she was a mix of emotions.

She did know she needed to get to Vacuo immediately.

 **Please Read and Review!**


	10. Dark Plans

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **This chapter was a little hard to write since it was intended to be two instead of one; however, it would have meant two very short chapters thus I sort of combined them into a single chapter. One of you also inquired if Whitley and the Schnee Mother will be making an appearance; my answer is no since at the time of this story, I assumed there was just Weiss and Winter. I had already planned out this fic and Whitley's appearance now would alter too many things.**

 **Again, thanks to all those who continue to read and please comment on what you think; also, still looking for a Beta for editing.**

They were all meeting underground.

Given that the old palace had more or less been reduced to rubble by the Imperial Fleet in orbit, this was the only location that was safe at the moment.

Doctor Watts sat in his chair while his colleagues did the same; though there was a general lack of communication going on. The table was long, rectangular, and black; occupying a space comprising of stone with the light coming from crystals in the ceiling. The room which they were in had only one entrance with a single large archway currently guarded by two alpha ursas; it being large enough for plenty of space for all of them. Across from him sat Cinder Fall with her servant Emerald standing at her side; looking like she was angry with the green-haired woman obviously nervous. Next to Cinder was Tyrian Callows with a giddy smile on his face like always; his scorpion tale waving about behind him. Every time their eyes met, the Faunus's smile became more crazed and Watt's hand almost went to the blaster pistol he had hidden at his side. Next to Watt's sat Hazel Rainart who had his eyes closed as if he were meditating; a deep scar on his neck that he had gotten from an Imperial squad some time back. The final person at the table was acting as a representative for Adam Taurus; who could not make the meeting due to recent events. The bat-eared Faunus looked a little too nervous and almost seemed like he was trying to be as invisible as possible.

He had arrived just an hour ago, having to travel via an underground network that his Mistress had set up some time ago; dug by an ancient alpha worm Grimm. Watts had come straight from Mistral when Salem had summoned all of them; having to head to an area that wasn't under the observation of Imperial Authorities in order to access the network. While his presence wasn't going to be missed that much by his students at the Haven Academy, there still might be questions from the Colonel in charge of the stormtrooper garrison in the city. While he had tried his best to become friends to the Imperial Officer, the man was too much of a professional to be wooed by Watts. Often that older man would find his offers as well as his gifts rebuffed by the younger officer thus they had at best a working relationship. It seemed that he had no problem flouting the fact that Haven and it's Hunter Academy was under the control of the Empire; thus the staff and students were at the Empire's whim. There had been times that Watts had to smile and appear submissive when the Colonel visited the school; often to recruit students for the Imperial Army or even the promise of assignments off world. It was becoming increasingly difficult to create his own powerbase within the academy; especially with the staff so suspicious of him after Professor Lionheart's disappearance two years ago.

In fact, all of them were having difficulties of late when it came to their assignments from Salem; which was starting to take their toll. In the past, their only worry had been Ozpin trying to thwart their activities; which had happened more than one occasion. Their attack on Beacon with the help of the White Fang had managed to catch the old wizard by surprise and things had been looking good; with Cinder's capture of the Fall Maiden's powers as well as the horde of Grimm now unleashed into the school. Things changed when the Empire had arrived; screaming down from the skies with their advance technology. Out of nowhere, their forces had descended onto Beacon fighting alongside Atlas troops as well as the surviving hunters; Tie Fighters scouring the sky in support of the Atlas airships. The White Fang had to retreat in a hurry though the survivors had been hunted down by the white-armored stormtroopers with no quarter given; many of Adam's best people being lost to blaster fire. In the months that followed, many of their lesser associates had been removed as the Empire began purging Remnant of anyone thought to have worked with Cinder and the White Fang; by then becoming fully knowledgeable of certain things once those in the upper echelons of Atlas had cozied up to the new occupiers.

It was lucky that Ozpin had disappeared by then; having to retreat from the world to nurse his injuries after battling Cinder. If he had been captured by the Empire or even decided to cooperate with them, there would have been a good chance that Watts as well as the rest of Salem's group would have ended up in an Imperial prison; or simply just executed. It was because of the old wizard's decision to stay away from the Empire that allowed them to move freely across Remnant with the authorities none the wiser; though they could not do much to further their mistress's cause. Everyone was being watched these days and so Watts and his fellows out in the field had to be extra careful without attracting attention from the ever increasing surveillance in the four Kingdoms. Things were especially difficult for Salem since her palace as well as the surface of the badlands had been bombarded from space by the Imperial Fleet in orbit a number of times; forcing her to go below to escape the energy fire from above. Grimm were able to be replenished easily so all invasions had been thrown back with ease which was the only bright spot in this whole affair. There were also still bands of the creatures that roamed large parts of Remnant that the Empire didn't bother with; which helped Salem keep tabs on things when her minions could not.

"Does anyone know why we were called?" asked the bat-Faunus with nervousness in his voice; looking around the table sheepishly. While Hazel and Cinder just ignored him, Tyrian gave him a sadistic smile with Watts just sighing in irritation.

"WE were not called; Adam is supposed to be here and not you," Watts pointed out before Cinder could get a word in. While he wasn't sure what Hazel thought, he knew that Tyrian was just as annoyed as himself with the White Fang's leader as of late.

"Brother Adam could not be here because of the threat to his leadership of the White Fang; I was sent in his stead out of respect," replied the Faunus with a mix of politeness and apprehension; whose name Watts had forgotten. His face was still covered by the mask that all White Fang members wore and was also in their standard garb.

"Adam would not have threats to his leadership if he would just follow orders; all these unsanctioned attacks are becoming a problem to all of us," Cinder shot back at the young man; her eyes flaring in rage. She was in her long red dress though her hair had been shortened for some reason; not that he cared.

"You mean a problem for you since your people are the ones being picked off along with his. My subordinates face no such threat," Watts countered with a smug grin at the Fallen Maiden. While Cinder shot him a sharp glare; her companion kept her face blank.

"Even got the speedster captured and probably being tortured even as we speak; a real shame," Tyrian stated with a grin of his own before breaking out with sadistic laughter; almost mocking the young woman. This time Emerald did react with a look of rage and took a step forward before being stopped by a hand raised by Cinder.

Before anything else was said, the doors to the room opened which prompted everyone to rise to their feet.

"Be seated," Ordered Salem in a firm voice as she practically glided across the floor; as if her feet were not touching the ground. In the years that he had served her, Watts could not remember if he ever saw anything underneath the long robe she wore.

"You called for us Mistress?" inquired Tyrian as if he were in awe in being in her presence; as if she were a deity. Out of all of them, the Scorpion Faunus was the most submissive and obeyed orders without question; though he did so a little too enthusiastically sometimes.

It was in Watt's opinion that Salem's attitude had changed a great deal in the last four years; becoming less patient and more vicious. Before the Empire arrived and their plans starting to come to fruition, she had almost been motherly to the group; only becoming angry when they attacked one another. After the disaster at Beacon which resulted in a great deal many Grimm being wiped out, she had been angry for months with her acting out on any person who spoke the wrong thing; which had often been Tyrian. It also seemed that her mood was affecting the Grimm given that the surviving bands that still wandered the wilderness were now even more aggressive; even attacking those on sight that could best them easily. This was one of the reasons why flights of nevermores were often wiped out without effort by the Empire since there was no longer coordination within the Grimm themselves; which was why he and the rest of his colleagues were now having to pick up the slack so to speak. Of course it was hard to command large hoards of Grimm to do anything meaningful when they can simply be taken out by the enemy fleet in orbit.

"Given the state of things, it is becoming more and more difficult to go forward with our plans; thus I called you here to discuss options that could be beneficial for the future," stated the Queen of the Grimm in an almost neutral voice. While she was stating the obvious, it was her tone that caught Watts slightly off guard; it being more collected than in previous meetings.

"Things would be easier if there was some way to deal with those ships in orbit; we could handle the rest more efficiently if they were gone," Hazel commented gruffly; getting to the meat of their problems. Though the Imperial Army and their Atlas allies were a threat, they could be swarmed if it weren't for the air support.

"I believe that was Cinder's and Adam's role in all this; though we have yet to see any results coming from them," Watts observed while smirking at Cinder and her subordinate. While the White Fang representative looked embarrassed and looked away, the Fallen Maiden just glared right back at him.

"You were supposed to have provided us information about Imperial troop movements so that we could avoid detection when we moved our goods. We cannot proceed if we are unable to know ahead of time that we are to be attacked," Cinder countered angrily as her eyes flared at the older man.

"It doesn't help when the White Fang launch petty raids against Imperial patrols; my people say that there is a full on purge going on in Vacuo," Hazel pointed out while giving Cinder a look of his own.

"That was done against Brother Adam's orders; there will be punishment for the insubordination. That Adam has promised," assured the Bat-Faunus in an effort to alleviate the mood in the meeting; though he seemed to be failing.

"Silence whelp; this is talk for those better than you," snarled Tyrian as he gave the White Fang representative a dark look. Both he and Adam had been butting heads the most lately which was starting to get on everyone's nerves.

"The problem is that we are dealing with an enemy that is far more advanced that us, can bring more troops to reinforce their numbers at any time, and even if we deal with the fleet in orbit, the Empire will just send more ships. This is a losing fight," Emerald announced to the group with a good amount of frustration in her voice. Everyone turned to look at her and Cinder was not happy that her subordinate spoke up.

"She is right," Salem suddenly said calmly as she leaned forward and all eyes once again gazed upon her. There was about a minute of silence as it appeared that the Queen was in deep thought; thus no one was sure whether it was appropriate to speak up.

"As long as our presence in the galaxy is known, then nothing we do is of consequence. Thus, Remnant will have to be removed and hidden for us to achieve victory," the Queen of the Grimm put forth and her words were met with only stares; no one having the courage to state how crazy that was.

"How would we go about accomplishing such a feat?" Watts asked as politely as he could; wondering if the old being had finally snapped. Looking around quickly, he saw that everyone else was curious as well.

"A long time ago, another Galactic Power had arrived on Remnant in order to conquer it. There was a relic used to not only defeat these invaders, but to make this world invisible to the eyes of the rest of the galaxy. We just need to get ahold of this relic so that it could be used once again," answered Salem in a thoughtful tone from her deep thinking.

"And where would we find this relic? I can go with my people and retrieve it immediately," Cinder said to her mistress rather quickly. She suspected she might know where it is given what she now knew about Salem; wanting another match.

"It's hidden; possibly by Ozpin thus we would need him so that we could find out where it is," replied the older woman with bitterness in her voice; almost glaring at Cinder. The Fallen Maiden slightly cowered before her; much to the amusement of Watts.

" _That's not going to happen anytime soon"_ Watts thought to himself though it was hard not to say the words out loud. While he wasn't privy of the details, he knew full well that Salem had already rebuffed Ozpin's offers for an alliance rather violently; thus burning that particular bridge.

"I can find his cabin; just send me after the old man and I'll bring you the relic," Tyrian stated crazily; practically laughing maniacally. His tail was now out and wagging like a dog was when he was happy.

"His area hides itself from the world and there is no way in without him letting you; thus any attempt to go after Ozpin by force is doomed to fail," the Queen informed with bitterness once again in her voice. She was inwardly regretting her previous actions given that she was resentful towards the older man; thus she blew a prime opportunity to gain the upper hand over after all these centuries.

"Maybe we just need to draw him out then," suggested the Bat-Faunus in an effort to make himself relevant. He slightly shriveled under all the looks he was getting; going from annoyance to mocking.

"Nothing we do is going to get the old man to come out of the blue; he is likely to just sit back and let the Empire deal with us so he doesn't have to," remarked Tyrian as he just rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

"Unless we do something that will force him to come out," Salem said quietly as an idea suddenly popped into her brain. It was something she never would have considered in the old days but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"There isn't much we can do ma'am; the Empire has us boxed in. Even if we had thrown everything we had at the Empire and managed to defeat them, then he'll just finish us off," Hazel pointed out respectfully. Unlike the others in the room, he knew full well of how powerful Ozpin was and considered Cinder's victory just a fluke.

"Unless someone else draws him out? We can't be the only ones fighting against the Empire and maybe we should let them do the job for us," the White Fang representative proposed and there were nods of agreement from around the table this time.

"I may have a way of accomplishing that; it has come to my attention that Yang Xiao Long is gathering Hunters together for some unknown reason. I do not believe the Empire knows about this and she could be creating some sort of resistance on behalf of the Hunters of Remnant," Doctor Watts informed the group; having heard about it on the grapevine through his sources among the Hunters. He knew that many of the older ones were angry with the new rules that the Imperials were implementing; thus it wasn't surprising that more than a few were willing to do something about it.

"Yang Xiao Long is the partner of Blake Belladonna; who is the one challenging Adam for the leadership of the White Fang. That cannot be a coincidence," Cinder said as she glanced at the Bat-Faunus; who was nodding his head in agreement.

"Then that will be our way in; we will use Ozpin's own students to draw him out. Once they organize and began their own resistance against the Empire, he will have to come to their aid; then we will strike," Salem said and she smiled for the first times in a long time; which seemed to put her minions at ease.

"Maybe we could also find ways of aiding them; we could get them to do things that we couldn't," Hazel recommended to his mistress; feeling that relying on Cinder and Adam was no longer feasible.

"I can do that; I will entice a few of my students to join this resistance so I can keep tabs on them and provide support if needed. It can also help keep the pressure off of us and allow the Empire to be distracted," Watts said and that earned an approving nod from the Queen of the Grimm; which meant that he had her support.

"Then we will proceed with this new plan; I will expect news when we next meet," Commanded Salem as she rose from her seat. The others rose and bowed; staying where they were until she was out of the room so they could leave as well.

Across the galaxy; other plans were being laid.

Darth Vader stood off to the side of the throne while his master watched the recording of Weiss Schnee's fight with the Inquisitor. Currently in one of Emperor Palpatine's private Throne Rooms which was towards the center of the Imperial Palace, he was silent as the recording was displayed on the massive holo station located in the center the darkened room. The elder Sith Lord had summoned him earlier, which Vader came without delay. He had been in orbit aboard his person Star Destroyer, the _Devastator_ , and came down in his Tie Advance once the summons had come for him. The room was massive like all of the Throne Rooms were with both a private as well as main entrance leading into the room. Aside from the throne itself that was perched so that one could look downwards, small steps leading up to the chair, there were various devices that were used for many things. Besides Vader and the Emperor, there were four Crimson Guards at each corner in the room; with more outside standing guard; their force pikes over their shoulders as usual. They had been present when Vader had appeared in front of his master; on his knees bowing when the Emperor had arrived.

"It seems that these Hunters of Remnant are indeed powerful Lord Vader; though I wonder if they could be considered a threat," said a thoughtful Palpatine once the recording had concluded and swerved his chair to face the other Sith Lord.

"The Force is still more powerful than their auras and semblances; I could have crushed Ms. Schnee easily. These Hunters though could be of use to us; allowing us to not have to rely on the Inquisitors who could pose a risk My Master," Vader said with his head bowed low; trying not to argue with the Emperor but still wanting to make his point.

"An interesting idea; while the Inquisitors have proven useful in the past, there is always the risk of one becoming too ambitious. Are you proposing that we replace them with these Hunters?" inquired the Emperor as he smiled at his apprentice. Vader had long learned not to anticipate his master's intentions when it came to his proposals; instead hoping that they would just get considered and approved.

"I am proposing that we can start using a few of them for missions that the Inquisitors cannot accomplish. Also allowing us to use the Hunters in case we have to deal with them because they have grown too powerful. Since we are already harvesting the substance the planet uses and transporting it out of the system, we can also recruit amongst the more powerful Hunters and have them swear loyalty to you My Master," Darth Vader put forth sincerely; though he also had plans for them as well.

After what had happened to his apprentice Starkiller, Vader had come to realize that it was just too risky having his own apprentice; especially with Palpatine still around. After scrapping the clone project based off the DNA of his former student, he had started to look to the newly discovered Hunters of Remnant as possible replacements for the time being; until he was in command of the Empire and in a position to train a successor. In fact, he had been impressed with Weiss Schnee and had accessed all information gathered about the young woman; having his agents go to Remnant to acquire it. Having her as his temporary protégé along with a few others could provide him with some powerful servants; maybe even able to have them do tasks without his Master knowing. He even had a small list of candidates to recruit that he knew were already fighting for the Empire. While he couldn't be too sure, it was his belief that the Emperor had overlooked the Hunters of Remnant all together; thus the older man wasn't as keen in knowledge about them as Vader was. All he needed to do now was convince the Emperor to approve the plan without risking the Sith Master from seeing Vader's true intentions; which was the risk right now.

"Very well; I will put you in charge of the task Lord Vader. I had already planned to make Morgan Schnee the Moff of the planet anyways given that the man has proven useful to the Empire; I will have you accomplish that task as well," ordered Emperor Palpatine with approval in his voice. Vader once again bowed and accepted his task; now waiting to be dismissed by his Master.

"I also want you to find out more about these Grimm; our Scientists have yet to get any samples of them and I am starting to lose patience. I am curious on how these creatures could exist without us sensing them; or even having any record of them by the Sith or even the Jedi," stated Palpatine as he leaned back in his seat. Vader could sense the genuine frustration in his Master's voice and was surprised by it; since it was a rare thing for the Emperor not to know things.

"I will look into it My Master; once I have accomplished the task of dealing with that rumored Rebel Shipyard, I will head to Remnant," Vader said and the Emperor nodded; finding that sufficient. He then waved his hand to dismiss the Vader; turning his chair to face away from the retreating Dark Lord of the Sith.

As he left the Throne Room, Vader vowed to finish his current mission quickly; he had plans to initiate.

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	11. A New Journey

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **I want to thank the last few reviewers for their praise for this story and I greatly appreciate the encouragement. I really want to make a shout out to IMS and SSDConker for their statements and letting me know that I should have been more specific in terms of Vader's Tie Fighter; which I should have done. I am going to try and move the plot more forward starting with this chapter so expect our characters to finally encounter one another now; especially with the members of Team RWBY.**

Ruby knew it was time to leave.

While she had hoped to spend a few more days in Vacuo City to rest and replenish her supplies, the current mood prevented that.

It still amazed her that even though the White Fang had gunned down civilians just as they did the stormtroopers, she was seen as the villain by the people of the city. After her arrest by the Imperial reinforcements, she had been quickly let go when the Officer she saved not only vouched for her but said she was a hero. She then had been awarded a medal as well as given a bounty on the White Fang members that she had killed in combat. It was only after she had gotten back to the hotel she was staying that the dark looks got shot her way even though the staff still treated her politely. Hiding in her room for the rest of the day, only coming out to get something to eat, she saw that she had made the local news with a few of the reporters appearing to be a little bias towards her. From her bed, she watched as the people she interviewed, both Humans and Faunus, stated that she shouldn't have interfered and that it was the White Fang that were the real heroes; even if they had murdered a few innocents in their ambush on the Imperial troops. The Huntress couldn't help but feel disgust towards the people she was trying to protect from those who wanted to cause chaos on Remnant.

Currently, she was in her bedroom packing her things so that she could be ready to leave first thing in the morning. Her food lay not too far away on the nightstand next to the bed while her Crescent Rose was next to the door which was locked. She had left the room earlier to see if there were any jobs available that would take her out of Vacuo but everything was on lockdown by the Empire to root out any more White Fang that happened to still be in the city. Imperial landing craft had arrived earlier in the day to deploy more troops and even heavy vehicles were now in the mix with walkers of various types patrolling the perimeter of the city itself. After she couldn't find anything to travel with, the Huntress had decided to just strike it out on her own and had received permission to leave the city of the authorities. She had even been allowed to catch any passage on any craft to the other Kingdoms if she wanted though Ruby had declined the offer. She needed some time out in the wilderness to train and hunt Grimm without having to deal with the local politics. A part of her felt that the people just needed to understand that this was a new Remnant now with the old one not coming back any time soon.

She was packing her Dust cartridges when there was a knock at her door.

"Yes?" inquired Ruby loudly as she opened the door to see a dark-green uniformed Imperial Officer standing there. Though she wasn't familiar with the insignia on his uniform, he looked young enough to be a junior officer.

"Sorry to bother you Huntress but this is for you," stated the young man politely as he handed her a small circular device. It was about the size of a tennis ball and black with a couple of red buttons on it.

"What is it?" asked the Huntress as she examined it after taking it from him. The young blonde-haired man had a pair of armored troops behind him though she did not feel intimidated by them in the least.

"It's an emergency transponder ma'am. If you are ever in trouble, just press the larger red button and a detachment of troops will be there in moments for support or extraction," informed the Officer, as he pointed at the device.

"Thank you," was all that the young woman could say as the officer and the accompanying troops then left her. He had given her a small polite bow before doing so with the troops also saluting her.

As she put the thing on the bed, Ruby was glad that she was leaving first thing since this was bound to make the patrons even more annoyed with her. Even if she had decided to stay a few more days, there was no way she could have stayed invisible after that particular visit. The news had yet to mention her name or where she had been staying but no doubt interested parties would now know thanks to the visit. While she had nothing to fear since she was a trained Huntress and a pretty powerful one at that, Ruby suspected that it would be safer to make sure her weapon was at her side once she headed to bed for the night. The young Huntress had learned to keep her aura up even when she was asleep so that she could be protected at all times as well as was able to sense when danger was nearby; which was useful when in Grimm territory. While she doubted that she would suffer any attacks by any White Fang with the Empire now patrolling the streets in force, Ruby had longed to never let her guard down. It was a lesson she had learned from Beacon the hard way and the Huntress had vowed to never forget again.

Once she was done getting ready, Ruby placed her things next to the door and decided that it would be a good idea to go to bed early. Turning on the television to watch something until she felt tired enough, the young woman contemplated on her possible destination. Truth be told, there were very few places that offered good options for her at the moment though she supposed that she could always venture to one of the outer continents for the first time. It was said that Atlas had established a few settlements under Imperial protection and it would be easy for her to get a transport there. She could even contact the Empire now and leave right away if she wanted though she did want to think about it first. Perhaps she could make her decision on the way to Mistral since all roads led to Haven and she would have a better idea on her plans by the time she got to the city. The other reason she was happy to leave was that there was a chance that word of this might reach the people she knew; which she did not want to face right now. While Ruby was more than willing to reconcile with her sister and wanted to see her father again, she felt it just wasn't the right time yet. The last thing she wanted was for one of them to try and persuade her to give up her current quest.

Sleep came easy for her after a while once she had shut off the television. It was quiet outside except for the sounds of Tie Fighters overhead which she was able to ignore. The problem Ruby did have though was the recurring nightmares that often plagued her on occasion. There were a mix of them but they all had a frequent element to them; which involved the death of her loved ones and the laughing of Cinder Fall. They had started in the aftermath of the Battle of Beacon when she had witnessed the Fallen Maiden shoot that arrow into Pyrrah's chest and then turn her friend into ash afterwards. While things had been hazy after that, Qrow not really giving her details when she had unlocked her Silver-eyed powers, she did know enough that she had battled Cinder for a brief time before the Tower fell under attack by the Empire. Apparently, her Uncle had arrived just in time before a group of Ties had opened fire on the Grimm Dragon and grabbed her unconscious form during the battle. It was then that Cinder had fled while the Grimm had been killed by the Imperial Forces; though there had been a general lack of details on the incident. Ruby had awoken a few days later and that was when she learned about the aftermath as well as what had been hidden from all of them.

Ruby supposed that out of all of her family, she had grown to be rather angry with her Uncle Qrow. While the logical part of her young mind knew that he had kept things from her out of a necessity to protect her, she couldn't help but be cross. The fact that he had known all about how her mother had died, with even her father not knowing the full truth, had enraged her at the time when he had finally informed her of the facts. Ruby had always looked up to her mother Summer Rose and had wanted to be a Huntress just like her; especially after finding out that she had inherited her semblance which was a rarity on Remnant. To find out that her mother had been murdered instead of being lost on a mission had taken quite a toll on her mind since it had put things in perspective. Summer had been targeted by Salem and her minions for her lineage that even she did not fully understand; still in the process of learning her true strength when forces had ambushed her on her last mission. Qrow had even found her and instead of bringing her home, he had buried her in a secret spot and lied about her disappearance so that the truth could be hidden. While her father and sister had understood and forgiven him, Ruby could just not bring herself to.

Which was one of the reasons why she left to train on her own in the first place instead of asking her Uncle to help her.

She had risen from bed even before the sun had come up with her alarm going off on her scroll next to Ruby. Dressing quickly back into her usual Hunter attire and wrapping herself into her red cloak, the young woman looked to see if she had missed anything since she did not want to leave anything behind. Finding that she did indeed have everything on her, Ruby slipped out of the room and into the darkened hallway quietly. As she headed down the hallway, her large backpack made some slight sounds though she did her best to move through the deserted pathway without trying to wake anyone up. There was an older man at the front desk who just gave her a blank look as she handed him her key; though he did thank her once she had left him a tip. Since she had grabbed some food for the trip already, there was no reason to stop by the bar which had just opened in order to get a quick bite. Opening the main door, the Huntress slipped off into the night towards where the city exit lay.

The first group of stormtroopers she had come across demanded that she show some identification as well as a reason why she was out this time in the morning. The Empire had established a curfew in the city until all remaining White Fang had been rooted out. After showing the patrol her credentials, she was allowed on her way and they must have radioed ahead since the next group of soldiers she passed waved her thru without stopping the young woman. As she got closer to the exit, she encountered heavier Imperial forces in terms of AT-STs and more Sabre Tanks along with large squads of white-armored troops. They had huddled around the main entrance to Vacuo and they had built a few bunkers for better protection. There were stormtroopers manning gun batteries pointed towards the city with troops on the tops on the walls walking along the ramparts. While they were slightly intimidating, Ruby saw no reason to fear them even with the sounds of Ties overhead; seeing three circling the area she was in before heading off in another patrol route. Approaching the exit, she once again showed her credentials to the Imperial Officer in charge before being allowed to head into the desert.

"Morning," greeted a voice to the left of her once she had gotten past the Imperial forces stationed on the outside of the city entrance. She turned to see Nix standing there in the sand with his gear.

"Morning; I guess you had the same idea as I did," Ruby said to the man as the sun was starting to rise over the horizon. While he was dressed in his armor, the man had left off his helmet though it was strapped at his side.

"More or less since the mood seemed to have changed just a tad. When I overhear bartenders debating about spitting in my drinks, I take that as a sign that it's time to move on," stated the arc trooper with a shrug. Like Ruby, he had a backpack on though it was over his rocket pack and thus had to remove it before taking flight.

"Sorry you had to deal with that but I was feeling unwelcome too. Apparently the White Fang have more respect than those who tried to stop them," the red-cloaked Huntress said bitterly as they slowly trekked along the road leading away from the city. While she wasn't resentful, she couldn't help but feel a little angry at those she wanted to protect.

"You're going to find that when one's planet is now under the control of another, yesterday's terrorists become today's heroes. Given that the people here are slowly losing their freedom to the Empire, you can't really blame them for being the way they are," stated Nix as he tried to reassure the young woman. He had taken part in the early campaigns of the Empire and saw firsthand those who had welcomed him when he had come as the Republic but then wanted him to leave when it was the Empire.

"It's like they don't remember what happened at Beacon when the White Fang let Grimm into the school and people died. Vacuo students were amongst those who lost their lives trying to escape," Ruby argued as she put her hood on to protect shield her head from the rising sun. It was cool now but it was only a matter of time before the temperature would rise.

"People have short memories when it comes to current threats. I am no rebel by any means but I do see where they are coming from. What you saw back there is what is going on on a hundred planets right now all over the galaxy. Of course people here need to get that they should feel lucky that this isn't some Core World or they would feel an even more heavy hand of the Empire than they have right now," informed the Clone as he put his helmet on to protect his own head not to mention use the scanners to see if anything tried to sneak up on them.

"The whole thing is stupid; the Grimm and their Queen is the threat. Not the Empire who I have not seen do a single thing that wasn't warranted," Ruby told the former soldier as they just kept walking and took their time. The last thing they needed to do was exhaust themselves in getting to the oasis a few miles out. The Kingdom was littered with them and served as rest areas when traveling through the desert.

"Don't know what to say to you other than you better get used to it. So how long do you think it will take to encounter our first Grimm?" Nix asked with curiosity since he had yet to detect anything on sensors. He had read that the creatures were attracted to negative emotions and they had to have been drawn closer to the city given the current mood.

"Probably not long since all the negativity in Vacuo had to have drawn any roving bands in the area. More likely we will probably come into contact with either deathstalkers or nevermores though we are not near any mountain ranges where the fliers nested," answered the Huntress as she closed her eyes to see if she sensed any of the monsters. She couldn't feel anything and that slightly confused her since she expected to at least feel one lone deathstalker by now.

"I am surprised that the Empire doesn't have a few scientists on the planet studying the things," stated the clone out loud after a minute of silence between the two. He was still getting nothing except empty desert and a few vultures hanging around.

"From what I read back at Beacon, all attempts to study Grimm are useless since they dissolve once they had been killed. As for live ones, there's been nothing ever discovered though like I said, Salem is the one who rules them. My Uncle Qrow didn't know if she had created the Grimm or simply just came to control them somehow," informed Ruby as the continued to move along the pathway. The road itself was paved for now but soon would be in lesser condition the more they got away from Vacuo; which was getting smaller and smaller as they walked.

"I am curious to see what that looks like and I am willing to bet that there are some people on the planet researching these things. I also wouldn't be surprised if a few of these Grimm were taken off planet to some Imperial research facility in the Core," remarked Nix as he suddenly got something on his sensors. Before Ruby could respond to that, he held up his hand to silence the young woman.

"What is it?" asked the Huntress as she looked at him in confusion. Her hand went to her Crescent Rose involuntarily which was a habit of hers.

"I've got movement in that direction," answered the former commando as he pointed to the west of their location. Their view was blocked by some pretty high sand dunes.

"I'm not sensing any Grimm," Ruby stated as she closed her eyes and concentrated though she was coming on empty for the creatures. There was no species of Grimm that she had failed to sense with her new abilities so she had learned to trust them.

"Never less, I am sensing something moving in that direction," was all that Nix said and he contemplated on whether he wanted to check it out. The problem was that it lay pretty off the main road and he did not know the area well enough to risk getting lost.

"That doesn't make sense; I am going to check it out," said the Huntress as she quickly moved in the direction he had pointed to. It made no sense to her for anything to be out here given that nothing lay in that direction except empty desert.

"Guess that solves that," Nix said to himself as he moved to try and catch up to her. If she knew it or not, the young woman was using her semblance slightly with a small trail of rose petals coming from behind her.

By the time he caught up to her, they had just come up over the first dunes though there was a second set just after them. Making their way down the hill, they climbed the first one and it was when they reached the top that they got a good look at was causing Nix's sensor to go off. They then quickly dropped to their stomachs and crawled backwards a little when the sight of a large group of White Fang appeared below them. It seemed that they were part of a large convoy with a row of trucks and other vehicles heading towards the direction the two originally had been traveling. The convoy was currently stopped with the Faunus walking about with their weapons drawn as if they were on patrol. While more than a few had cloaks on to protect them from the rising heat, a few were in their standard attire though Ruby noticed that they had the traits of desert animals and assumed that they could stand the temperature. In the mix of the vehicles were a few that were obviously military and probably leftovers from when the Kingdom's militaries had been disbanded. Given that they were tracked tanks with desert coloring, Ruby believed them to be Vacuo in origin given that Atlas stuff would be a little more modern.

"Guess the Empire was too late in locking down the city," Nix stated quietly as they watched the scene from below. He was glad that his armor was made to prevent glares which would help in preventing them from being seen.

"Or they got out using a secret exit since Vacuo City is rumored to be full of them. I do wonder how they have yet to be detected by the Empire," Ruby remarked since the collection of metal vehicles had to have at least appeared on any passing Tie Fighter's sensors. It had been a while since she had seen so many of the group in one place given that they operated in smaller cells; this looking more like a small army.

"I think I know and it seems that they have some pretty good contacts on this planet. See the truck with the large dish on it? That is an old Separatist Sensor Jammer and its likely preventing this group from being detected by the forces in the city," explained Nix as he used the optics on his helmet to get a good look at the other tech the terrorist group had in their midst. He was surprised to see that besides Separatist blasters that the White Fang were holding, there were a couple of Old Republic AT-RTs strapped in the back of a tracked flatbed.

"Are you sure?" asked Ruby as she looked over to see one of the trucks with what appeared to be an oversized radar dish twirling around. It looked as if someone had taken it off of something else and attached to the vehicle it was on.

"Blew more than a few of those things up in my day so they are kind of hard to forget. They got some pretty advanced tech down there; older stuff than what is used in the empire but still more cutting-edge that what a local terrorist group should be using," informed the former commando as he watched the people below start to get back into their vehicles. It looked like they were getting ready to leave and continue on towards their unknown destination.

"The White Fang were good at stealing stuff from the Kingdoms back before the occupation began. There were also those who sold the group tech as well which was why they often had some Atlas stuff. I am counting about thirty vehicles," stated Ruby once she finished studying the whole scene. She had no idea how many people were made up of the convoy but suspected that it was probably a lot.

"That's about what I got as well though I can't tell how many of them there are since my sensors are being jammed. There is a slight break in the jamming net though which is probably how I first detected the movement," Nix told the Huntress as they watched the vehicles start to move slowly along the sandy ground.

"Could they be detected by the Empire?" she asked him as she watched them go; conflicted on what to do next. All Ruby knew was that she was not going to simply let this go and had to do something.

"If they knew what they were looking for. Given the clear skies and told about the jammer, the fleet in orbit would easily pick this little posse up. While it was hard for us in the old days during the Clone Wars, sensor tech has modernized a bit under the Empire," answered the clone as he was unsure on what to do. While he didn't really want to get involved in local matters again, he really didn't want to let these White Fang go with what they had.

"I see; well I am going to follow them. Maybe they'll lead me to where they are getting all of this technology and I want to do something about it," Ruby said to the former soldier as she got on her feet and prepared to tail the vehicles. It bothered her that the White Fang were in possession of such technology and wanted to see it destroyed.

"With you there; let's go," Nix said as he rose to his feet as well. They then moved quickly to catch up with the enemy.

 **Please Read and Review!**


	12. Escalation

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **I want to say that I am very sorry about the delay in updating this story but my work schedule of late has been a little in flux; thus I was unable to devote as much time to my writing as I wanted. I am also an avid gamer and since I now have my PS4, I was maybe doing a little too much gaming but I will now try to regularity update. Also, this chapter had to be rewritten since I think I needed to devote a little more to the battle part of Star Wars; thus expect more action in the coming chapters. Again, reviews are welcome in any format and still hoping for a Beta to come forward.**

He hated being a Tarkin.

Granted, he was only a member of the outlier branch of the family but it still didn't help him in the least.

Wendell Tarkin yawned as he walked out of the barracks to the refresher and the broken moon of Remnant was overhead. While he still had a few more hours of sleep left until his duty shift on the wall, he found that he just could not hold his bladder that long. It annoyed him to no end that the designers of these portable outposts had the refreshers located separate from the sleeping areas than they being attached; thus he had to go out into the frigid air to relieve himself. Dressed in his nightwear which included a pair of green shorts and matching t-shirt, he had been forced to put on his boots and wished he had been able to smuggle his slippers to this post. As he walked to the smaller building across the courtyard, he waved to one of the patrolling white-armored soldiers on the top walkway above. The stormtrooper waved back and Wendell couldn't remember who it was that was supposed to be there tonight since he could never tell his comrades apart under the helmets; having to ask through the installed intercom. It was rumored that the elite corps could all tell eachother apart from their mannerisms though he wasn't sure if it were true or not.

The outpost itself was about the size of a city block and served as a sort of supply depot for the surrounding bases for the region. It was built on the side of a large mountain with tunnels leading inside where many kinds of military equipment lay; packed neatly and ready for transport on a moment's notice. A durasteel wall surrounded the outpost in a crescent shape and went up at least thirty feet with a full seven feet thick that allowed a walkway on the top of the wall as well as extra armor to help prevent breaches by foes. Inside the wall were more than a few buildings that housed the base's personnel as well as a landing pad large enough for _sentinel_ -class shuttles to pick up cargo or drop it off. At certain parts of the wall were three large turbo-laser towers as well as a single ion one with a few other anti-air placements embedded on the mountain. While the base did not have any fighters stationed, there was a large communications dish able to call in air support from either the fleet in orbit or the air base forty miles away. The surface of the base had been paved over and was smooth up to the wall itself.

It lay on the dragon-shaped continent just east of Solitas in a rather green but desolate area; thus he could not leave for any of the Kingdoms when he wanted. While there seemed to be endless fields and a few forests near them, they were Grimm infested and had not yet been cleared for eventual habitation. He had yet to encounter any of the beasts up close though he had heard more than a few stories from the troops already here when he had first arrived. From what he had heard, this particular place had once been infested with a scorpion type of Grimm before the arriving forces cleared them out; having to resort to some pretty heavy firepower to do so. He hoped that the locals would take advantage of the cleared areas to set some villages up so he could at least get out of the base without having to wait for official leave; the shuttle only coming every three days which was the only way to the more populous parts of the planet. Wendell needed to wait a few more weeks before he had enough leave to get off this particular continent and enjoy being out of uniform.

He had been on the planet for over a year now after spending most of his time in one of the local garrisons on his homeworld. Wendell had joined the Imperial Army just a little over two years when he couldn't decide what to do on Eriadu with his life; his family name not really getting him far. While the Tarkins were one of the most powerful families on the planet, you had to be one of the main branch of the family in order to advance into the halls of power as well as wealth. Sure, he looked like any member of the clan with his light blonde hair and blue eyes; the hair slightly wavy that was a genetic trait of the family. Since all he had was the name itself and his mother being a local shopkeeper, all he could do was use it to get into the world's academy as an officer; though only being able to achieve the most junior rank at the time. He was a hard worker though and with a good amount of skill in logistics as well as luck, he had been able to achieve the rank of Lieutenant in a matter of short time. After a few postings around the planet, he had been sent to this world as his first off-world one; which he was more the happy to get off the industrial Eriadu and see the galaxy.

Truthfully, Wendell was starting to like Remnant and had managed to visit most of the major cities; also appreciating the clean natural air compared to the recycled stuff he had been used to all these years. Most of the locals seemed friendly to him though there were more than a few suspicious looks cast his way. Wendell had been surprised by that since his uniform on Eriadu often got him treated by respect; the planet being one of the most loyal to the Emperor's New Order. He had seen reports of rebel activity on a good number of worlds in the Empire and he knew that there was a heavy insurrectionist here as well; though he had yet to actually see it. He found that the local cuisine was what he appreciated the most; all of it being grown naturally on various farms throughout the planet instead of the hydroponic ones that most Imperial soldiers ate from. When it came to the Imperial Navy, he knew he had it better since only those of high rank and prestige had the privilege of luxury foods. This particular posting had its food flown in from Atlas itself which provided just about every Imperial base in the region.

After doing his business, Wendell walked out of one of the stalls before bumping into someone; both falling to the ground.

"Sorry, didn't see you there sir," said a feminine voice as Wendell struggled to get himself up and slightly became confused by the fir tail he saw in front of him. It was when he got a better look that he saw it was the corporal that had just arrived at the base.

In a surprising move, the Empire had allowed a number of native recruits to be stationed at various installations throughout the planet. While most were of Atlas descent as well as a few from native, some happened to be Faunus. In fact, it was said that over a thousand had joined the Imperial Army in order to not show their loyalty to the Empire, but to even try and get off planet to make themselves a better life. Unlike the attitudes of their fellow Remnant solders, the Imperials treated them better though more than a few officers mocked the animal elements that they had. It was in their favor that they resembled humans and it was amazing that the entire species wasn't held responsible for the actions of the White Fang. Wendell was rather fascinated by them and did his best to be polite to the new recruits even though they tended to keep to themselves. The woman he just bumped into happened to be his newest subordinate and he had to admit that he had found her fox tail a bit of a turn-on; though he would never had admitted it out loud. Like many in the units that were assigned to this outpost, everyone had to pull wall duty in the night.

"It's okay Corporal; taking a break?" asked the officer as he noted that the dark-skinned Faunus was in her in her military fatigues. Due to the complexities of the Faunus themselves, it had been hard to issue standard white armor and thus they had to make do with the grey Atlas stuff that had been sent along with them.

"Just a bathroom one sir; I was given permission by Captain Yako," informed Corporal Sara Tanner as they stood there under the light. Standing at his height, the Fox-Faunus had green eyes and short brown hair with a dark skinned complexion.

"Well good luck; been there myself so expect all of you new recruits to do the same," was all that Wendell could think to say. When it came to talking to women, he was never able to say the right thing.

"Yes sir," she said with a shrug and the young fox-Faunus headed back to her post. Wendell headed in the opposite direction to head back to the barracks.

That was when all Hell broke loose.

Wendell was knocked to the ground just outside the door to the barracks when the turbo-laser tower just above him on the right wall exploded. Before that had happened, he could have sworn he had heard the whining of an incoming missile though he could not be sure in later accounts of the incident. As he struggled to regain his senses, there was a series of secondary explosions as the mountain above was impacted by what appeared to be multiple rockets. As the rock as well as debris began to rain down upon the courtyard, the officer was suddenly grabbed and practically dragged back to the refresher as the spot he was previously was located was now covered. The sky began to light up as the other turbo-laser towers opened up and fired beyond the wall though neither had any clue on what they were firing at. Another minute later, a second tower was hit by more missiles and exploded. It was then that the alarm started finally going off and shouting could now be heard.

"What the hell is going on?!" yelled a panicked Wendell and in the moment, he couldn't see how stupid his question was.

"We're under attack sir," the Faunus yelled back and tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice so the officer wouldn't be offended. It was then that she was glad that she still had her blaster rifle since she was definitely going to need it.

"Yeah, I got that; what I want to know who is attacking," Wendell demanded and wasn't bothering to hide his sarcasm. He watched as the base's personnel rushed into the courtyard in uniform and out though only a few had their weapons.

"Don't know sir but you need to get your weapon because we are about to get swarmed," advised Sara as she and the officer ran to get a better sense of what was going on. A part of the center wall got hit with something large and a piece of it went flying.

The lieutenant realized that this was a good idea and they both ran as more stormtroopers headed past them to the wall. As he moved, Wendell could hear the sounds of blasters going off and had to dodge as one of the white-armored troopers fell to the ground; a burnt hole in his chest. He momentarily paused and stared at the body, his first time seeing a read dead person before, and Sara had to drag him away in order to keep moving. Unlike the officer, she had seen dead bodies before; whether killed by Grimm or the White Fang with her own brother having been murdered by those who claimed to be fighting for her kind's rights. As she gripped her blaster, Sara couldn't help but think that she now had the chance to give a little payback since her instincts were telling her that the Fang were the ones attacking the outpost. Once she got to the armory with the lieutenant and helped him get something to protect himself with, she planned to go back and join in the defense.

They never got to the armory when the front gate suddenly blew inwards which now left a very large hole. Through the breach came a score of White Fang with blasters blazing at anyone they could see; thus Wendell and Sara had to duck behind some cover while she returned fire. Seeing the body of another trooper nearby with a blaster in his hand, the officer broke cover briefly to grab it. Returning to Sara's side, he fired back at the Faunus along with her and even managed to score a hit on the attackers; none of them wearing armor and were in their standard attire. More stormtroopers appeared and everyone tried to bottleneck the invaders by shooting at anything that came inside the outpost; which was easy given that the White Fang had no cover as they entered. There was nothing but the sounds of blaster fire and explosions in the air and Wendell tried his best to concentrate on what was in front of him. This was his first time in actual combat and he couldn't think of anything to do but point and shoot.

For a second, it seemed that the defenders were starting to get the upper hand as the invaders started to this out. Given that they were sitting ducks as they came through the hole in the main gate, it would be only a matter of time before the White Fang would be forced to retreat. Those hopes were dashed however when an AAT moved through the gate with its turret firing a large blast as soon as it came through. Sara watched as the shot hit a makeshift barricade that a group of her fellow troops had been using; sending them flying as well as any limbs. After that, it opened fire with its side blasters trying to pick off ant escaping troops. As the defenders ducked behind their cover or ran to get behind something better, more White Fang came from behind the tank and flooded into the courtyard. The appearance of the AAT seemed to be a game changer as it hovered there to provide fire support to the invading terrorists.

"Where the hell did that thing come from? I thought all those things were scrapped years ago," Wendell yelled as he crawled on his belly to get to safety. Sara was next to him doing the same thing though her armor was making it a bit harder on her to do so.

"What is that? It wasn't mentioned by the by the officers during training," inquired the Faunus as she recalled her instructor going over the basics of Imperial military vehicles. She found the color also odd since everything the Empire used was an ugly grey than what the other tank was using.

"It's called an Armored Assault Tank; or AAT. It was used by the Separatists during the Clone Wars though it hasn't been seen on a battlefield in years. My drill sergeant called them antiques of a previous era," answered Wendell as they reached the building and moved quickly around the corner. Though they were safe for a moment, it would not last for long if the vehicle fired at them now.

"Well for an antique, it's kicking our butts," said the Faunus sarcastically which was more than evident this time. She peered around the corner to see that the tank was now joined by a second one with more White Fang entering the base.

"We're going to need some heavy ordinance now," Wendell said to the other trooper as he looked to see where they exactly were. The building they were currently hiding behind the mess hall with no other people in sight.

That was until six White Fang appeared by coming around the other side of the building. They seemed to have missed the two Imperials though and had been caught by surprised when blaster fire was opened up on them. It happened so fast that neither had time to think. Wendell and Sara managed to take out all six by just firing wildly at them out of instinct; the Tarkin just pulling the trigger continuously until nothing was left standing. They then ran to the next building and saw that a few of their armored comrades had set up a E-Web behind a durasteel barricade that was holding the enemy at bay. With its position between a few of the buildings and blocking an access point to the supply depot in the mountain, it denied the White Fang the equipment that the two assumed they were here for. Even as they ran up and were waving their arms as friendlies, they had to fall to the ground as the heavy blaster took out the enemy behind them. With the smell of heavy ozone in the air as well as covered in dirt, they headed to the emplacement.

"Please tell me you have more than that with you; the enemy has tanks with them," informed Wendell as he looked to see what kind of equipment the troops had. There were three of them in all and in full armor with no indication of their ranks.

"I've got a PLEX with me though it only has two rounds with it," answered the stromtrooper holding the heavy blaster. He pointed to the rocket launcher on the ground and then waved for the two to get out of the way as more White Fang appeared.

"This should work but we'll have to go another way," said Sara as Wendell picked up the PLEX and they began heading away from the heavy fire.

"We can cut through the storage building there and even see if there is a way to get to the roof. That way we have an excellent vantage point to take out both tanks though we have to make our shots count," stated the officer and was impressed with himself that he was acting so professionally now given that this was his first time in real combat. He supposed it might be that it was because of his Tarkin blood that ran through his veins; given that the family had a long tradition of military service.

Sara nodded and they headed quickly to the building which now had several of its windows blown out. To get there, they had to cut across one of the main pathways which was currently involved in a firefight between the defenders and the White Fang. The invaders were being held off but had pushed the Imperials away from the breach though the pathways were too narrow for the tanks to move through at the moment. Sneaking behind a group of White Fang exchanging fire with their companions, the two moved into their targeted building and found it deserted though there had clearly been a fight inside recently. While there were no bodies seen at first glance, the scorch marks in the walls and the overturned shelves indicated that they had just missed out on the action; especially with the burnt smell of blaster fire still in the air. They moved around the obstacles and Wendell was starting to feel the burden of the heavy weapon as he carried it with two hands. The soldier who had it before didn't bother bringing the sling that came with the PLEX thus he was unable to carry it over his shoulder as it was meant to be carried.

"Looks like we can get up to the roof through there," Sara said as he pointed at a ladder that led up to a hatch in the ceiling. Given that the building was only a single story despite it being tall, there was a good chance that it would take them where they needed to go.

Working together to move one of the fallen shelves out of the way, Sara led the way as they climbed the ladder. When they got to the hatch, Sara had to shoot the lock that was on it in order to open it and slowly peeked through the small hole. As expected, it did indeed lead to the roof and they climb onto it with Sara helping Wendell once she was up. They stayed low as they moved slowly to the edge though there was a nice four foot wall that prevented them from being seen by those below. Peeking over the side, they saw that the White Fang had taken the courtyard and had pushed the Imperials towards the denser part of the outpost with the sounds of the battle being heard faintly. There were about thirty of them standing around with the two tanks just hovering there as well. On one of the AATs, the top hatch opened and a skinny dog Faunus climbed out and jumped onto the ground.

"He's the guy in charge," Sara whispered to Wendell as she watched the scene with great interest. She had a feeling that something was about to happen though she clearly had no idea what.

"How can you tell? They all look the same to me," the lieutenant said to the young woman as he watched the scene as well. With everyone wearing a mask down there as well as wearing the same attire, he couldn't tell who was giving the orders.

"It's that red armband he is wearing; Adam Taurus has all of his people wear them to show who is in charge," replied the Faunus as she watched as a group of White Fang lead some of her fellow recruits into the courtyard.

Like Wendell, the three males were dressed in their sleeping garb and must have been grabbed while they were still in the barracks. All three were also Faunus, who happened to be her friends, with two having fir tails like herself with the third having deer antlers. As she watched the White Fang force her fellow comrades on their knees, a sickening feeling arrived into her stomach. As a previous memory popped into her head, she gripped her blaster rifle intently until her knuckle went white. Watching the scene as well and wondering what was about to happen, Wendell readied the PLEX and was deciding which tank to target. With both tanks having their turrets facing away from the building they were hiding on, he knew he could get probably get both tanks before either one of them turned to strike back. The problem was that the thirty or so White Fang below could delay his second shot and allow the second take to fire before he could hit it with his other rocket. As he was about to ask Sara for his other advice, he heard the White Fang officer speak up.

"It's bad enough seeing our brothers and sisters fight as Hunters but to see any of our kind join the Imperials is a crime against our Race itself. This is our judgment," stated the Dog-Faunus as he pulled out a blaster pistol and shot each recruit in the head. There was no time to react as the bodies fell face forward like a sack of potatoes.

"Don't," begged Wendell as he turned to look at Sara's reaction and suspected what she was about to do; the rage very apparent on her face. Still in pure shock at what he had just witnessed, he was unable to hang onto the PLEX as she practically ripped it out of his hands.

"BASTARDS!" she screamed as she rose to her feet and aimed the PLEX at the White Fang Officer who had just executed her comrades. Pulling the trigger, she felt the kickback of the weapon as the rocket left the chamber.

It was lucky that the White Fang Commander had been standing right next to the tank when Sara had fired the PLEX. The rocket, while missing him when he quickly moved to the side, slammed into the side of the AAT and the resulting explosion had sent the dog Faunus flying as well as any other White Fang next to the thing. Pieces of the vehicle also flew everywhere and a few slammed into the other tank though no damage was caused. The tank that had been hit was now on its side with a large hole in it and now completely out of commission. After their shock had worn off, the remaining White Fang opened fire on the roof above and Wendell had to pull Sara down so that she could not get hit by the enemy fire. As he considered what to do next and heard the turret of the other AAT turn, more than likely in their direction, he saw that his fellow soldier was breathing heavily and still had the PLEX in her hands. Trying to put his head up to get a good view of what was happening below, he barely missed the blaster show that might have taken his head off. With his back against the wall, he could almost feel the energy fire that was slamming into the cover behind him.

"Nice," the Tarkin said to the Faunus in a sarcastic tone of his own. There was no way he could stand up and fire the other shot without being hit by the blaster fire coming from below.

"Those were my friends," stated the Faunus as she seethed and fired her blaster over her head though she doubted she hit anything. She was really hoping the Faunus was now dead though his aura could have protected him from the impact of being sent flying.

"And they were good recruits but you gave away our surprise and now we are screwed," Wendell chastised her as it occurred to him that they needed to move quickly. Grabbing her arm as well as the heavy weapon, they ran across the roof just as the second tank fired on their previous position.

Part of the roof collapsed as the shot connected where they had previously been; leaving the other half exposed as well as themselves to the other tank. While it needed to reload its cannon for another shot, the twin blasters on the sides fired at the two as they attempted to make it back to the hatch. They had just made it when the tank fired again and took out another part of the roof which had pushed them to the edge and away from their escape route. Taking a chance that the building next door was close enough, they jumped onto the other roof and managed to make it though they were going to be sore later. Unfortunately, the building they were now on top of didn't have an entrance to the inner part thus they were now trapped. Heading to the edge, they saw that it was too far down to jump without hurting themselves and the AAT was now coming into view as well as the remaining White Fang. They moved away from the edge where the coming shot was expected in hopes that they could fire back effectively.

"When that thing fires and if we are exposed, you take it out immediately," ordered the lieutenant as both he and the Faunus leaned against the back wall of the roof. They readied their weapons with Sara pointing the PLEX in the general direction of where the tank might strike.

"Understood sir," said Sara and there was a twinge of regret in her voice as she understood that there was the possibility that she might have gotten them killed. Even if they took out the tank, there were still the many White Fang ready to take them out.

Part of the roof that directly in front of them collapsed once it had been hit with by the tank from below. When it came into view, Sara fired the PLEX but the kickback was a little stronger this time and the shot went a little too far to the left; thus she missed the AAT though she did hit a small group of White Fang and sent them flying. Time seem to slow as the reality of their situation now came into play with the barrel of the tank now pointing straight at them. They were now dead to rights and not only was there no time to even get out of the way of the oncoming blast, they also had nowhere to really go without serious injury. As Tarkin began to wonder if he had wasted his life, Sara started saying a silent prayer to herself and grabbed the other solder's hand; which was clasped in return. Wendell then turned to her and offered a smile which she gave him in return.

"BOOP!" screamed a voice from the sky and both looked upwards to see Nora Valkyrie come flying down with her hammer Magnhild in her hands. Before anyone could react, slammed her weapon on top of the barrel of the ATT which caused the machine to flip over rather violently.

With the machine now officially incapacitated and the pilots not even being able to escape it because of the hatch blocked, Nora went to deal with the rest of the enemy. Swinging her hammer in an arc, more of the White Fang were sent flying in all directions. One of the Faunus not hit aimed his blaster to fire at the pink-haired girl and let loose a blast that hit her in the back of her white-colored armor point blank. The Faunus stared in shock though as it appeared to do no damage and Nora turned around to face him; smiling and then swinging her weapon. The hammer smacked him hard in the chest and he flew into the wall of the closest building which he went straight through. As the remaining enemy aimed their blasters, Ren dropped onto the scene and fired his twin guns at all of them in a flurry. Each of the White Fang dropped to the ground until the area was now clear of activity. Still astounded at what they just witnessed, Sara and Wendell noticed the shadow looming over them and looked up to see an Imperial Dropship Transport come down with Stormtroopers coming out of it. They spotted a second one heading to the outside of the wall firing at whatever the White Fang had left.

"Landing zone secure sir!" stated an enthusiastic Nora to an Imperial officer who had come out of the transport with the rest of the soldiers. Both she and Ren saluted the older middle aged man who nodded back at them.

"Excellent work both of you; take some men and secure the rest of the base. Try to take some prisoners since we need to know how this happened," the Major ordered the pair of Imperial Huntsman as Sara and Wendell climbed down from where their previous position was. They saluted the officer who just simply nodded in return; both taking a moment to breath as the reinforcements did their work.

"Understood sir," said Ren in a neutral tone as both he and Nora scampered off with the stormtroopers at their backs. The Major then turned to look at the downed AATs and simply glared at the machines.

It seemed that the insurgency just got more complicated.

 **Please Read and Review!**


	13. Aftermath

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **Again, a big thanks to all my fans of this story and while this chapter features no real action; it does set up things to come. Also, expect two Legend's EU characters to make an appearance with those familiar with the X-Wing Novel series recognizing one of them. The next chapter features Blake and Yang so expect some pretty interesting things to come as our little Rebellion expands to new factions. I will also be including more and more tech from the Clone Wars era so be prepared to recognize some in that case as well. Please let me know if my explanation of how the Remnant Occupational Government sounds plausible and if I need to fix it or detail it a bit more.**

"How did this happen!" Admiral Husk demanded to the assembled and slamming his fist on the table.

As Weiss sat in her chair in the meeting room, she watched as the gathering of officials shift uneasy in their chairs.

She was currently aboard _The Pride of Kuat_ in an emergency meeting of all those who held power on Remnant. It had been in the middle of the night when she had been awoken by the loud knocking on her room door; which had been Klein informing her of the sudden visitors. While the Winter Palace, the official Schnee residence, had some Imperial protection assigned to it, it was a group of naval stormtroopers that had come for her. She had been surprised to see that an armed escort had had arrived to take her to the sudden meeting right away and had little time to make herself presentable. Hastily putting on her purple combat skirt and touching up her face a tad, she decided not to do any jewelry since this was more of an official event than some fancy party. Once she felt that she was respectable enough, Weiss went down to the entry hall where her Imperial chaperones waited for her. The Officer in charge, a young green-uniformed lieutenant, bowed before motioning for her to follow him. There was an imperial _lambda_ shuttle waiting on the front lawn which took her to orbit along with an escort of Tie Interceptors.

She had been the last to arrive with the rest of those summoned already seated when she had arrived. Weiss did notice that the military officers gave her a respectable nod and she wondered if what had happened on Coruscant made the gossip here since they had not acted that respectfully before. The meeting room itself seemed to be unique compared to what she had seen before; though it was large and rectangular in shape. Granted, this was Weiss's first time attending one of these though she often was allowed to view the minutes by her father. The floor was polished and clean, the walls being bare of any type of décor. The table in which she sat at along with about fifteen other people was circular with a large holo platform in the center. At the four corners of the room were guards with more outside. Weiss herself sat mostly by herself with two empty seats in either direction as she preferred it; though she had a good view of her sister Winter who was next to General Ironwood. The holo just played out what had happened at two outposts just a little while ago and all of them watched it in silence.

Looking around the room, it surprised Weiss that she knew so many of the Official Remnant Government. Even though they consisted mostly of Atlas Officials of many sorts, both civilian and military, there were a few from the other kingdoms as well; one of them being Glynda Goodwitch who was here along with another Vale Councilmember. She had given her former teacher a respectable nod when their eyes had met with the older woman smiling back. There were also representatives from Mistral and Vacuo as well with Weiss having met them before since they had business dealings with her father. During their many dinners since the occupation began, her father often boasted how he had contributed to the choices of whom from the other kingdoms got to be in the Remnant Government since he had the biggest influence with the Imperials. From what she knew, the Elder Schnee planned to have them as aides once his goal of becoming the Moff of Remnant was complete.

Technically, the Government had no real power on the planet with all authority going to the Imperial Military. The Council itself sort of acted as advisors to Admiral Husk though he basically let them do what they wanted in managing their respective areas of expertise as long as they followed the laws of the Empire. All local laws that the Kingdoms had on the books already had been picked through with some vanishing if they were in conflict with the edits of the Empire itself. Freedoms of expression and personal privacy had been curbed back drastically in favor of order as well as security. When they did meet, all that was done was to give reports on the current status of Remnant itself as well as how the population was dealing with the new order of things. They were also responsible for making sure things went smoothly in their respective Kingdoms with the backing of the Imperial military on the planet. Each Council Member had the authority to call in any Imperial support when needed though only the Atlas supporters got what they needed.

"We don't know in all honesty. There was no indication of advance technology of this scale getting into the hands of the terrorists before," stated an Imperial official from his seat with pure honesty. From his green uniform's insignia indicating he was a Colonel, Weiss knew he was with Imperial Military Intelligence and no doubt responsible for the epic failure on this scale.

"I would not call Separatist tech advanced in any way. I fought in the Clone Wars and AATs are almost antiques by now," scoffed General Maltaz as he leaned back in his chair. As the highest ranking Army General in the system, he controlled all ground forces on the planet.

"It was advanced enough for a large number of them to overrun one outpost and decimate another. I want to know how those supposed "antiques" got in the system in the first place since we monitor everything coming in," the Admiral said angrily as he glared at the General. It was said in close circles did not get along since it as High Command that had placed Husk in overall command even though the General had been in the Imperial Military longer.

"When we first confiscated the blasters, we assumed that the terrorists had acquired them through bribery of local officials. Since we now know that they are using old Clone Wars tech, our guess is that some outside force smuggled them in somehow," answered the Intelligence officer as he read from his datapad. To Weiss, the older man looked like he had no idea what was going on despite him supposing to know everything that transpired on Remnant; thus she felt sorry for him.

"All Separatist tech was said to have been scrapped as soon as it had been recovered by the military during early days of the Empire. There is the chance that a CIS holdout could have provided the insurgents with the weapons and vehicles," suggested another Imperial Naval Officer next to Husk.

"The rumors of Separatists still out there are nothing but fairy tales. It's been almost two decades since the end of the War and there hasn't been even a whiff of their remaining presence. This has to be the work of a smuggler, the Hutts, or the Black Sun," the Imperial General put forth as if that were the answer.

"Hutts?" inquired one of the Councilors from Atlas with a confused look on her face. Weiss just rolled her eyes at the elderly over-dressed woman for her ignorance on Galactic affairs despite her position.

"A large bloated race that deals in the criminal underworld and fights among eachother for control of it," the younger Schnee answered as she spoke up for the first time. While Weiss had tried to keep her voice as polite as possible, more than a few caught the mocking in her tone.

"I would go with the Black Sun since they had a presence on many of the former CIS worlds in the Rim. We do know that their people have used their tech before and it could be that a Vigo decided to provide some of it to the White Fang as well as the other terrorists," the Intelligence Officer suggested in an attempt to deflect away from his blunder. It was known in the Imperial military that the Criminal Organization had people on the payroll everywhere with even Prince Xizor rumored to be an unofficial advisor to the Emperor.

"But what would they get in exchange for these weapons?" asked the Vacuo representative in a deep voice. The individual was a big burly man dressed in desert garb of a long white robe with a turban.

"Dust," General Ironwood answered firmly as he spoke up for the first time as well. According to her father, the Atlas General often stayed silent during these meetings unless there was something relevant to the security of the local population's wellbeing.

"Dust? All dust is managed by the Empire and it isn't exported for commercial use in anywhere in the galaxy," stated the Admiral with heavy skepticism. Unlike the rest of the people in the room that served in the Occupation Government, the Imperial Officers actually respected the Atlas General thus they did listen when he spoke.

"I am afraid that isn't true anymore," said a new voice as someone entered the room. All eyes turned to see that a middle-aged human male with black hair and blue eyes had entered the room; wearing a green uniform.

"And you are?" Husk demanded to know and was annoyed by the sudden interruption. Studying the man as he stood just inside the room, Weiss had a theory about him but kept it to herself.

"Agent Kirtan Loor of Imperial Intelligence; sent here by Director Isard herself," answered the man as he saluted the Admiral even though he really didn't have to. Imperial Intelligence Agents answered to their own chain of command and thus did need to extend courtesy.

"Why are you here? I was unaware that Director Isard was interested in this backwater," Husk said to the man with a trace of being unnerved was in his voice. Weiss understood why he was nervous given that she was more than aware of the Director's reputation.

"This "backwater" is of vital interest to the Empire and even the Emperor himself wants to make sure that the important substance of Dust stays in its hands. I was sent to trace how and why small elements of it were found in the possession of criminals on the other side of the galaxy," informed the Agent as he took it upon himself to take a seat at the table. Finding an empty spot next to Weiss, he briefly acknowledged her before focusing his attention on the Imperial senior officers.

"The SDC is in control of all Dust production on Remnant; maybe there is a problem there," proposed Counselor Pierre Bourbon as he smirked at Weiss. A small skinny man with blonde hair and blue eyes who wore an expensive blue coat with matching slacks; he was one of Morgan Schnee's main opponents with a rivalry that has lasted for years.

"The SDC maintains strict control over all of IT'S Dust operations but everyone knows full well that there are sources of dust out there that have yet to be tapped. In fact, I invite Agent Loor to investigate the SDC since the Schnee are always willing to make sure that it's security is kept," Weiss told the group as she met the rival's smirk with one of her own. Very few knew that the SDC worked closely with the Imperial Military to make sure there were no traitorous elements in its ranks for years.

"That won't be necessary since the Emperor has full confidence in the Schnee Family to maintain Imperial interests. The Dust has been traced to a few particular mines that are not under the control of the SDC though Intelligence is not sure how many more remain," informed Loor as he gave Weiss a respectable look while giving the Counselor an annoyed one. The Agent was not one for local politics though he knew full well how to play the game.

"Do you have any idea where the White Fang are getting their technology?" inquired Glynda as she attempted to weigh in. While she was no fan of the Empire, the idea of advance technology in the hands of the White Fang had worried her as well as Ozpin.

"This is classified but I can inform you that some CIS military equipment storage sites have been discovered in the last few years by various groups around the galaxy. Also, we now know that Old Republic vehicles have also been missing from their various storage facilities. More than a few have ended up in the hands of criminals and we believe a group has somehow established a link to the insurgents on Remnant," answered Agent Loor in a neutral tone. The Imperial Officers did not look pleased at the news since it now complicated matters.

"What kind of military equipment are we to encounter?" inquired Ironwood out of curiosity as well as a new sense of perspective on the Empire itself. It was interesting to see that the Galactic Power was not all that powerful though he was still curious about this Rebel Alliance he kept hearing from the Imperial Officers he talked to.

"From land vehicles to possibly fighter craft though we cannot be too sure," the Intelligence officer replied simply with full expectation of what the response would be. As expected, several of the Navel Staff as well as Husk himself became even angrier.

"I want all ships to be ready and make sure all fighters have proper escort. I want to make sure we retain full air superiority," ordered the Admiral to the Captain next to him. While Husk was no means a line officer with a sense of knowing strategy, he was at least somewhat competent.

"Why bother with all of that when there is a much easier solution in front of us? A solution I might add that can be done with a simple flip of a button as well as a Command by our glorious Admiral Husk," stated Councilor Bourbon stated with a dismissive wave of his hand as if the current crisis were a trivial issue. Weiss had a sickening feeling in her stomach on what he was about to suggest and readied herself for war.

"What are you suggesting?" asked the Mistral Representative cautiously though she knew the man enough to hazard a guess.

"That we raze the island of Menagerie with fire from orbit till there is nothing left and thrown every last one of those vermin Faunus into camps where they can be caged like the animals they are," the skinny man declared to the assembled as if he were proud of what he was proposing.

"You're talking about Genocide!" Glynda said in anger as she stared daggers at the man. The other Vale representative also looked horrified as well as Ironwood and even Winter. The others looked slightly nervous as they were unsure what to think.

"I am talking about pest removal and it is about time someone said so. The Faunus have been a detriment to our world for years now and it's time for us to remove them so we can have true peace under the authority of the Empire," argued the Atlas Councilor as he looked over at the Imperials for their support. While the Admiral and General as well as Agent Loor kept their expressions neutral, a few other officers looked thoughtful.

Weiss knew she now had to act before something horrible was decided here.

"You seem awfully content about wiping out the Faunus despite their connection to our planet," Weiss said to the man in a tone that indicated that she was bemused by his proposal. He looked at her sharply and narrowed his eyes.

"They have no connection to Remnant and are nothing more than a hindrance to our race," Bourbon said to the younger woman as if he were stating fact. Weiss kept her face impassive and simply met the man's look with one of her own.

"And yet the genetics do not lie; they have more in common with us than you want to admit," the Schnee shot back as if she were mocking his views; which she was. It was revealed a few years ago from Imperial scientists that the Faunus were practically humans though with a few animal genes spliced into their DNA though it was still unknown if this was an act of nature or deliberate at some point in forgotten history.

"Their genetics are irrelevant," the Counselor countered simply as if the issue were moot. The rest of the assembled now just watched the two with great interest.

"Their genetics mean everything right now. Even if they weren't linked to us, they have been of more use to the Empire than I say of Atlas right now. I have viewed the records and right now there are more Faunus applying for the ranks of the Imperial Military than humans which tells me that a good amount are showing their loyalty to our Emperor. Why should we alienate those who can help rid us of the White Fang when they have just as much to hate them as we do? We've already seen their sacrifice already today," stated Weiss to the group though she was looking directly at the other man. She was doing her best to channel her father right now and she was unable to ascertain if it was working.

"Just because they join the Imperial Military does not prove their worth to us," Pierre shot back with fury as he was apparently offended by the notion that the Faunus were more loyal than he was. While it was true that there were higher percentages of the particular race were signing up in Imperial recruitment centers than humans, it was moot to their growing threat in his opinion.

"They don't have to prove their worth to you at all but to the Empire which decides on who is a threat to it. Lady Schnee is quite correct in her statements about the worth of the Faunus right now Bourbon and I agree that some have shown remarkable loyalty to the Emperor until HE says otherwise. Never forget that this Council concludes its business at the whim of the Empire and ultimately towards its goals than to this world," chastised the Admiral firmly to the Counselor as he glared at the man. In a surprise move, General Maltaz nodded his head in agreement with Hunk while also glaring at Bourbon.

"Besides, such a move would catch the attention of the Senate and could cause a problem for our Emperor. We are fortunate that Remnant's presence is barely noticed at all," Agent Loor put in as he shared his own two cents on the issue. While he had no real say on the issue, he was a close link to those who did.

"Therefore, I have a proposal of my own to make which could benefit the Empire and help deal with the threat we face," the younger Schnee said to Admiral Husk as she inwardly smirked at Councilor Bourbon's seething face. By exposing his own personal goals instead of those of the Empire like she did, she had effectively closed the matter.

"Go ahead," the Senior Imperial Officer ordered, clearly interested in what she had to recommend on the issue. The rest of the Council seemed to be also curious given that very few of them had ideas themselves.

"When the White Fang executed the Faunus who had fought for the Empire, they effectively showed that they are unwilling to show mercy even to those who are their own kind. I advise that we make public of those executions as well as honor the Fallen Faunus to show that the Empire values ALL those who fight for its security. By doing this publicly, it will further the rift between the White Fang and the general Faunus population thus the terrorists ranks become even more depleted as they are weeded out," Weiss put forth as she addressed both Husk and Maltaz directly instead of the others. It didn't matter what the others thought but what the two Imperial Officers did since it was their authority she was appealing to.

As she explained her plan, the Captain of the vessel they were on whispered to the Admiral that he had duties to attend; which he was dismissed for. Leaving the room as Weiss continued speaking, he headed down the hall and passed the bridge after checking in with his XO; finding nothing to report. After that, he headed to his quarters while trying to maintain his firm stance while really panicking on the inside. Everything in the meeting had been a breeze to sit through until the Imperial Agent had arrived and threw a wrench into his as well as his employers well scripted plans. The Captain also knew that the chances of just one Imperial Agent in the Remnant system alone was minute since he knew full well that an important world such as this would have a team investigating. Opening the door after saluting the guards stationed in front of it, a practice started by Husk himself, he sealed the door and tossed his hat onto the bed. He then went to his closet and opened the door, moving the hangers full of clothing aside to access the hidden compartment in the back to grab a communications device.

"Yes?" asked the irritated voice of a hologram that sprang to existence on his desk once he pressed a button. The hologram, which showed a Bothan, was not life-size but only about a foot and a half in height.

"We have a problem; Imperial Intelligence has arrived in the system and is now investigating where the insurgents are getting their weapons. They also claimed to have confiscated some of the dust given to you as payment for providing those weapons," Captain Mela told his business partner of sorts. In reality, the Bothan happened to hold his entire gambling debt hostage while making the Imperial do his bidding; though he did get some compensation.

"Wasn't told that but it matters not; a few Intelligence Agents are nothing to worry about as long as you continue to shield our activities. Pretty soon, my people and I will be rid of all the castoffs onto these rebels while being able to walk away with enough Dust to even be able to sell to any interested party out there; whether they be the Black Sun, the Hutts, or even the Rebel Alliance," stated the Bothan as he dismissed the risk with a wave of his hand. Unlike the Imperial, he wasn't worried by the Agent poking around in his business given that all of his contacts have yet to receive visits from anyone.

"I seriously doubt Iceheart sent only a "few Intelligence Agents" to a system that even the Emperor has become interested in. You need to finish what you are doing now before they discover my collusion with you and execute all of us," Mela said to the criminal with clear anxiety in his voice. He was already regretting having agreed to all of this, whether falsifying sensor logs of the Remnant System so that ships could sneak in and hiding reports of crewmen who had become suspicious, but knew he had no choice given that he had a Hutt breathing down his neck before.

"I am almost done okay? I just need to offload some Old Republic Arc-170s as well as other equipment to a new client in Vale and then I am set. Me and my people will then be out of the system with your debt settled. Just hold out and do what you need to do for a few months longer. Also, don't even think about going to the Agent to make a deal since you are being watched and they'd execute you anyways for treason. Goodbye and we will be in touch," the Bothan said adamantly before the hologram vanished.

Captain Mela just stood there in the dark and contemplated his options.

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	14. Rebels Rising

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

 **Thanks for the reviews the last chapter and I am glad that many of you favor this crossover so much. This is another set-up chapter for coming events and introduces a few OCs that a few of you might recognize; I was trying to use more fairy tale themes for this story. A few of you will also know the Star Wars ships being shown and that will play a pretty big part in the events to come. Also, I do agree that the Empire would not care if genocide against the Faunus happened but there were still Imperial Officers that were more moderate compared to others and only believed in the New Order. I also want to state that this fic will now spawn a trilogy instead of just a sequel; if anyone wants, I can start leaving hints at what is to come in quotes at the beginning of every chapter from now on.**

Blake and Yang sat at the small table drinking their tea.

Around them was the quiet chatting of the café's other patrons in which they mostly ignored while they waited.

It had been in the middle of the afternoon when they had arrived in the City of Vale with the sun overhead in the sky. After getting through the checkpoint, manned by mostly local authorities instead of purely Imperials, they proceeded to their destination which was a small red-bricked outside café that sat near the heart of the city. Walking into the urban area, they had noticed that the presence of the occupiers was light even though Beacon lay not far away. While a pair of stormtroopers could be seen walking the streets every now and then, there were no Imperial Walkers of any type or other military vehicles seen. The people out shopping and doing other activities appeared to be happy and content which made sense since any fears about Grimm attacks had long disappeared. While the city was still walled to some degree, the level of security against the monsters was not as it once was. The surrounding Imperial forces had ensured that Vale would no longer need to be at a knife's edge like before.

"I guess the people now know there is a war on," Yang commented as she sipped her coffee while leaning back in the chair. Even though there had been zero activity by the White Fang in Vale, she knew there had to be a few of them left in the Kingdon.

The flight from Patch had been slow aboard the airship but relatively calm even though what had happened only a few days ago resonated in people's heads. Sitting together in the middle of the row of seats, the two Huntresses overheard the other passengers as they discussed the rising violence of the White Fang. The fact that the Empire could no longer maintain a media blackout on events such as the attacks was showing the population that there was basically a war going on in the shadows. The mood though seemed to be somewhat resentful towards the Faunus Organization though since they were still the blame for what happened at Beacon so the Empire was still in the positive. There was even a little bit of fear given that the White Fang were now using technology that could equal their occupiers and thus might be able to strike at any supposed protected area. In fact, one of their neighbors sitting a few feet away was arguing for an increased Imperial presence in the city in order to feel safer.

"Yeah but it's making my people look bad again. Even if the Empire plans to honor the Faunus who were lost fighting for them at the bases, there is a lot of anti-Faunus resentment growing again," Blake stated sadly as she ignored the stares coming from a few of the people walking down the street. She was not wearing her bow which caused her to stand out since she had to be the only Faunus really left in the area.

"It makes you wonder if we are fighting the wrong side," Yang said in a thoughtful tone that caused her girlfriend to look over at her in surprise. The Faunus had to somewhat agree though since even the Empire was almost preferable to the White Fang under Adam.

"Or you just create your own side," a man with short black hair said as he took his seat in front of the two women who was dressed in a pair of tan shorts with a green t-shirt while also wearing sandals. He smiled at them pleasantly while still looking around to make sure no one was overhearing them.

"You're the one who contacted us I imagine?" the blonde asked the light skinned individual as he sat there sipping his own drink. There was a familiarity to the man though Yang could not pin her thoughts on where she had seen him before.

"I think I know you; aren't you a member of Vale's military forces?" Blake inquired as she studied the man and a memory popped into her head. Given that she paid a little bit more attention to the local news than the rest of Team RWBY, with the exception of Weiss and the business news, she recalled seeing him on the television at some point.

"Colonel Killain Hook of the Vale Royal Armed Forces at your service; though I am no longer a member given that our Kingdom's military had been disbanded by the Empire some time ago," the former military officer informed as he politely introduced himself. Now it was Yang's turn to be surprised since the man was well known throughout the Kingdom since he had been one of the leaders of their military since Vale's policy was to have no higher rank than a Colonel.

"It's nice to meet you but both of us were surprised by the carrier pigeon you sent to contact us since it was a little old school," Yang said to the man and he chuckled at her words. When the bird had arrived at their house, it had a single note on it stating a date and time as well as the request of them coming alone.

"Well if I had sent the message through normal means then it would have drawn scrutiny by the Empire and I did not want that to happen. I am happy that you came and I ask that we might relocate to a more private location to talk," said the Colonel as he rose from his seat and motioned for the two to follow him. The two Huntresses looked at one another before nodding and rose from their seats to follow the man.

Moving slowly out of the café, being ignored by the other customers, the two women followed Hook to an alley that was directly in between the coffee shop and another building. From there they walked to the back of the small space where a door lay which was metal and had a rather large lock on it. The Colonel pulled out a key and unlocked the door only after looking behind them to see if anyone had followed them; finding it clear. He then opened the door and all three proceeded inside before he closed as well as locked the door behind them. Blake and Yang then followed Hook down a long dark hallway until they got to another locked entrance way though this one appeared to be even more bolted than the last. The Faunus also had the sense that they were being watched and followed the buzzing sounds in her ears to a hidden camera in the right wall above them. After the next obstacle was opened to them, they found themselves in a small room with a series of small consoles as well as a table and some chairs. There was a monitor showing the entrances they had come though no one appeared to be viewing it.

"Why have you brought us here?" Blake asked neutrally though it was awfully close to it being a demand. Yang also was suspicious and wondered if this could possibly be a trap of some sorts given that the duo had organized quite a few Hunters as of late for their little group.

"I'll be frank; I am part of a larger group of former military soldiers of the Kingdoms of Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral that are preparing to liberate our world from the Empire's rule. We call ourselves The Alliance and I am offering you as well as the rest of your group an opportunity to join us," answered Colonel Hook with a serious tone and getting to the point. Once again, the two Huntresses were caught by surprise and were not sure what to think.

"How did you manage that? Surely the Empire would have noticed a large group of former soldiers suddenly talking to one another," inquired the blonde since she was now more than curious about this group. The last thing she had heard about the armies of the former Kingdoms was that many of their solders had retired instead of joining up with the new Government.

"Like yourselves, we've been organizing in secret. Our goals are the same though and we could be of great benefit to one another," stated Hook as he just sat there in what seemed to be an official manner. Although his attire was really casual, his demeanor was anything but.

"I agree but what do you have to work with? There was a reason why none of the Kingdoms could say no when the Imperials first arrived," the Faunus asked point blank since they were still horribly outclassed. While their group had planned to resist the Empire subtly, they knew they were nowhere near openly fighting.

"Let's just say that the White Fang are not the only ones who have access to tech that equals our occupiers. I am authorized to say that as of right now, The Alliance is being fitted with small arms, heavy vehicles, and even fighters," the Colonel informed the two and both their eyes widened at the news.

"How'd you manage that? There might be a blackout but I am pretty sure that much equipment missing or stolen would have stormtroopers busting down every door by now. That would make the news no matter how much it was prevented," Blake stated incredulously as she looked over at Yang to read her thoughts. Judging by her face, the blonde seemed to be ready to jump on board but they still needed more info as well as to consult with their group before coming to a decision.

"We're not using Imperial equipment but stuff that was used when they were called the Galactic Republic. While the stuff might be a little older, it is still on par on what is being used today so we will soon be more than a match for the Empire. What we lack though are experienced Hunters and Huntresses since all the academies are run by Loyalists," the military officer said to the two women and there was a slight trace of desperation in his voice. Blake could understand and sympathize since Hunters would be a great asset on the battlefield since they could do more than the average soldier.

"We're a pretty small group and I am surprised you have not been able to recruit more of us," Yang said as she leaned back in her chair and thought about the man's request. While he claimed it was an offer, she had a feeling that The Alliance needed her more than the other way around.

"Like I said, either they retired or signed on with the Empire. There is also the issue of trying to recruit a Hunter who isn't a spy. Your group seems to be the genuine article and we can really use your help since your skills for the coming battle will go a long way," answered Hook as he looked over at the time. Blake also looked over at it as well and knew that they needed to get to the airport soon in order to catch the last flight back to Patch.

"As much as we would love to agree right away, our group acts as a united body and we need to discuss this offer with them as well. Can you give us maybe three days?" Blake asked the Colonel once she got the agreeing nod from Yang. There was no way they would sign up with this Alliance without at least discussing it with Coco.

"I have no problem with that and I will let my allies know as well. Like your group, we act as more of a united body and all decisions are made by full agreement before we act. I do look forward to working with you though if you end up with us," Hook told the two ladies as he escorted them back to where they came from. He genuinely meant it since and made a polite bow once they were back at the alley.

He then headed back inside just as the other occupant of the safehouse made his appearance.

"Think they'll sign on?" asked General David Nolan of the former Mistral Armed Forces as he took the spot where Yang had sat. The blonde middle-aged man wore a light blue uniform with a straw hat that was common place in the Kingdom.

"They would be fools not to and I expect we'll be able to use them soon. My only concern is Qrow Branwen who I don't have the best relations with. We may have to play nice with him until our plans come to initiation," answered the other military officer with a slight disdain in his voice. While he had a very low tolerance for Hunters in general, though he could not deny their usefulness, there were more than a few that he detested with Qrow being high in his list.

"Either way, I have something to show you," stated the General as he motioned for his equal partner to follow him. He then pressed a button that activated a secret entrance into the room that led downwards.

Very few people knew the military history of Vale nowadays due to the changes to the Kingdom in the aftermath of the Great War. At one time, The Kingdom had been ruled by a Royal Family along with the others until the King of Vale changed everything to where Councils became the ultimate authority. Before those changes, the armed forces of Vale had created a series of underground tunnels to connect to various places in its territory. Consequently, one of those secret tunnels had been used during the Breach Incident years ago. It was a way to move forces and supplies to their armies while avoiding the advance aircraft of Mantle. Only those in the military who were higher ups in the chain of command knew about them with even the Council not knowing about them. As the two men entered one of the smaller tunnels that lay beneath the city, it being a single lane railway, they got onto the small railcar that was running on a small generator that allowed them to move without possibly tripping any sensor activity. They began to move quickly through the long dark tunnel though the floodlights they had kept everything illuminated.

When The Alliance first formed, the Vale Division had informed their new partners of the secret tunnels in order to provide a means to transport forces as well as equipment. While some of the routes had to be excavated pretty heavily, others were in surprisingly good conditioned and only needed a little modernization. It had been easy to smuggle equipment from Atlas since they were moving on to more advance technology for their railways. Currently, they had a network that connected Vale to Vacuo in certain places which happened to be underground bases that had been used by the two Kingdoms when they fought together during the Great War. Like the tunnels, the bases were also in good condition with even the equipment modern enough to be useful. Some of those bases housed runways that had once allowed early military aircraft to take off without being hit by Mantle's larger air force. Those particular bases happened to be in the north of the continent thus their new toys had to be stationed there.

As for Mistral, Alliance specialists were busy renovating some of their underground installations though fewer in number than the other Kingdoms, were still quite large and in isolated parts of the nation where the Empire had little interest in. They had to work very carefully and only move under the cover of night as well as through Mistral's thick forests. Things often got complicated though with the White Fang sometimes operating in the same areas as they were which often brought the attention of the Imperial Authorities. There had been a certain incident where workers had to watch a battle between the White Fang and stormtroopers, with heave walker support, which the Faunus had been massacred. Even if the Alliance had been able to help the Faunus organization, they would not have since the memories of Beacon were still fresh in the mind of some. It had been decided early on that no invitations would be made to the White Fang to work together given their violent past as well as the fact that they were partners with Cinder Fall still. Like the policy with the Empire on the rogues, The Alliance believed they needed to be removed from Remnant to preserve peace.

It took about twenty minutes for the duo to arrive at what could be considered their main command base. A large underground complex that was directly below a small series of mountains near the Vale/Vacuo border, it held a communications system that was connected to every other Alliance installation. While the Empire held firm control over the modern airwaves, the Rebels used an old radio network to send off coded messages. Since the communications used a very low frequency, it was able to not be detected by the Empire's ships in orbit as well as their bases around the planet. Other than the communications network, it was also one of the central hubs for the tunnel system, had the largest hanger to launch aircraft, and had massive storage rooms to house supplies. It had meant to act as a temporary capital for the Kingdom in case the Royal Family ever had to evacuate the Capital due to invasion. There were also a few small Dust mines that still had the substance all around the base that had never been discovered by the SDC. It used a geothermal generator far below that provided power and the dense rock overhead hid the heat readings from the Imperial Ships in orbit.

Arriving at the end of the tunnel, they were met by Vacuo Officer that happened to be the oldest of the three and a General dressed in desert garb.

"They arrived an hour ago," informed General Akbar Jafar as he greeted his fellow military companions. As a Triad, they ran the military affairs of The Alliance while their civilian counterparts, three in number as well, ran the domestic side with financing as well as other monitory obligations.

"Are they just as good as the ground vehicles they provided us?" Hook asked the Vacuo officer as they passed an opening where an AT-TE was being used for training by their troops. The complex was large enough for the walkers to move through without much problem.

"Oh yes and they came with ammo stores as well. They all had to be flown in remotely and one at a time without the Empire picking them up. We are lucky that those traveling storms we have been having these last few days provided good cloud cover since we will have to move them to the other bases as soon as possible," answered Jafar as they walked through the complex. The guards that were stationed at the various points in the base, wearing a red and blue uniform as well as carrying blasters, saluted them as they passed.

"As long as they are supposed to stand up to Tie Fighters, I will be happy," remarked Colonel Hook as they entered the hanger. Unlike the last time he had been here, that being two days ago since he had business in the city, the huge hanger was now full of three different types of fighter craft that was clearly designed for space combat.

"I assure you Colonel that the Arc-170 and V-Wing starfighters are more than a match for any Imperial Fighters that are presently in your system. I am also happy to tell you that NTB-630 bombers will not only help you provide air support to your people on the ground, but be able to take on capital ships as well. As per our agreement, I have provided three full wings of each type of craft as well as plenty of ammo and spare parts. As a bonus, the plans for each fighter are included in the deal," informed a dark-skin bald human in casual clothing respectfully as he walked up to the trio. Looking quite young, he was dressed in clothing that would indicate he was a smuggler to anyone else in the galaxy though the three officers just assumed it was standard attire with no meaning.

"And they have shields?" Hook asked the man firmly as he walked over to the closest Arc-170 and put his hand on it; him being a fighter pilot. The hull felt smooth but somewhat worn as well though he had been warned that they would be receiving craft that had been used in combat at some point.

"Oh yes which already gives you a one up on the Empire since Ties don't really have them. The standard Naval doctrine of the Empire is overwhelming firepower than actual practically which is a rather dumb idea," stated Moren Trike of the Black Sun with a smile. Hailing from Corellia, he was the one in charge of this operation which was to provide weapons to the various rebel groups in the system for Dust as whatever valuables that could be paid to them.

While a part of the criminal organization, he and the rest of his comrades had yet to inform the upper echelons of their little scheme. As arms dealers that often sold weapons to the various Hutt clans or even the Rebel Alliance, they had come across the world of Remnant and its potential by accident. When they found out about the world and the various insurgent groups that plagued Imperial Authorities, they hatched a scheme to sell them the weapons while keeping the profits to themselves. Since they were a small group and their Vigo none the wiser about them, they were able to get away with it while going unnoticed. As for the weapons, some time ago they had come across some old weapon caches that had once belonged to the CIS on Ruuria in the outer rim. The cache had been full of ground vehicles, small arms, and other equipment that they then cleared out. They also discovered various abandoned Old Republic sites that had stored equipment as well with a large amount of fighters included. They had initially sold the V-19 Torrents to the White Fang along with mostly CIS stuff while providing Alliance with the Republic equipment.

"How much more are you able to give us? I have been informed that we are able to provide more payment in terms of Dust as well as precious gems," General Nolan told the smuggler as the trio continued on to inspect the V-Wings. The civilians were easily able to provide the revenue to purchase from the smugglers without argument at all.

"Well that might take a while since the Empire does keep a pretty tight lid on the surplus stores of equipment used during the Clone Wars. But, I am always happy to provide," answered Trike with a greedy smile. One of his colleagues was already looking into other rumored sites out there that the Empire had either forgotten or did not find.

"Good; though I imagine that we'll soon be able to produce our own stuff once the yoke of the Empire has been thrown off," General Jafar said in a tone that indicated that he believed his own words. Moren had to fight to not roll his eyes in front of the man since the idea of fully liberating this world from the Empire was a fool's errand.

As the trio of officers discussed what they planned to do with the aircraft once their pilots had been fully trained, the smuggler having providing training sims, he wondered how his Bothan friend was doing with the White Fang. Given that the two rebel groups had been divided along racial groups, it was agreed that the Bothan would deal with the Faunus while he as a human would deal with the other humans. Adam Taurus was paying along the same means as this group and their coffers were getting fuller every day. Like this group, the Faunus was delusional that they would be able to toss out the Empire just like that. Trike knew that when the real war began, he and his companions would need to be out of the system so that they would not be caught up in the strife. They were profiteers and not Rebels so they had no obligation to sympathize with this world in the least. They also knew that the Empire would crush any real resistance on this world once they brought in a real fleet. That was why the thought of the Rebel Alliance winning was a ludicrous idea since they lacked the resources to have a proper fleet no matter what the Mon Calamari gave them.

After all, greed was what the galaxy ran on.

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	15. Following the Enemy

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **So I am back; and I am sorry for the very long hiatus from updating this story. Due to issues dealing with family, writer's blocks, and other elements- I was unable to really do some writing for some time. While things for me are still slightly messy, I am more or less back to trying to finish this story in a timely manner so I can move onto the sequel. Updates will try to be once a week but no more than two weeks in between.**

 **I do though want to stress you guys of this: This story is almost completely based on the Legends EU of the Star Wars Universe. While I might be able to fit in some Disney Canon elements that could be compatible with the EU, everything else is pretty much out. I am fully caught up with the New Canon and I have to say that I simply do not like it- with a few exceptions; I can go into more detail if the readers want.**

 **Anyways, I want to thank all those who still reviewed and continued to follow this story during my absence. I am also still looking for an Editor so please let me know if you are interested.**

They had been following the convoy for a week now.

As they entered what was officially the Kingdom of Vale, the environment began to change and the weather became a lot cooler.

Even though Vale and Vacuo had an official border to cross, one could tell when they entered either Kingdom just by the terrain alone. As a lush green began to appear once you went over some rocky slopes, you knew that you were no longer in the Desert nation; thus travel became a little easier. Yes, one had to now contend with colder nights and had to bundle up or start fires but resources became more plentiful. While one had to know where all the oases were in Vacuo so that they could stay healthy while traveling through the nation, Vale had a good amount of vegetation and rivers that living off the land was a lot easier. While forests littered throughout Vale, there were none near the border between the two kingdoms which allowed one not to be caught by surprise by roving Grimm. Of course with the Empire now in charge, there were no more large groups of the monsters prowling the countryside but instead lone ones that had escaped the fire from Imperial craft.

Neither of the Hunters were surprised that the White Fang convoy had avoided the main routes on their way into Vale. Even with the advance jamming device being deployed by the terrorist organization, one still had to contend with patrolling Imperial fighters or the occasional stormtrooper group as well as checkpoints. To get around this, the White Fang were traveling as far away habitable areas as much as possible. They also moved as a group and made sure to stay under the cover of the jamming device as well as put off as little heat as possible. The Faunus had also done a pretty good job of camouflaging their vehicles by using tech that had been developed by Mistral. The two followed from a distance and always made sure to stay hidden when they camped out for the night. The convoy always stopped just before sundown and even made sure that there were no light coming from any vehicle so that they could stay hidden under the cover of darkness. It made sense since the Faunus had better eyesight than the humans on Remnant which gave them an advantage.

During their time shadowing the White Fang group, Ruby had come to learn the vehicles that made up the convoy. On closer inspection, Nix had pointed out many of them that he had encountered during the Clone Wars. While the Faunus used a few Old Republic variants such as land speeders and AT-RTs, they were mostly sticking to old Separatist models. Currently, there were about ten AATs, a couple of HAGs, and about three MTTs. There were even two Hailfire tanks and were on flatbeds being carried instead of traveling on their own with the rest of the group. From their vantage points, the former commando had been surprised to see that they were being manned instead of being a droid operated vehicle. From what he could tell, it looked like the White Fang or someone else had modified the vehicles so that individuals could pilot them without having to rely on droid programming.

This was no terrorist group that had been encountered back at the city but a fully equipped army ready for war. It seemed to him that all the information he had received about the group was vastly underestimated and he even now believed there could be more to come. It was obvious that someone or some organization had provided the White Fang with the military material he was now seeing and for a minute he considered that the Rebel Alliance was responsible. While Remnant was still new to the galaxy and had not even made the news, even the various underground networks, the Rebels were always looking for new allies to fight in their misguided war against the Empire. It wasn't out the realm of possibility that the Alliance would look the other way as long as they gained allies in their war; having seen it first hand on several of the Outer Rim worlds in recent years.

Even he knew that the Rebels were not the goody two shoes that they thought they were.

"We're going to have to set up camp soon," Ruby said to Nix as they lay on top of a hill overlooking the convoy as it appeared to have stopped for the day. Though the sun was still up, it was still getting late and would be dark soon.

"Might as well try those caves we saw back there since they look deep enough to hide our heat from any thermals," the former commando responded to the Huntress, agreeing with her words taking one last look at the scene below. They began to slowly back up until they were completely free from view and could stand up.

"We're going to have to risk a fire for sure since the air will get colder with winter approaching for Vale," stated the Huntress who seemed a little uneasy to Nix. She had started being slightly moody once they had approached the border though she tried to hide it.

Once they got to the bottom of the hill, Nix made sure to pay attention to his scanners as they scouted the nearby caves. The first one they tried was a little too shallow and directly faced the hill where the enemy had stopped for the night; thus they would be spotted easily if a White Fang happened to go patrolling. As it stood, the Faunus seemed to rely on their new scanners for any alerts to intruders but Nix knew the weaknesses to them which allow both he as well as Ruby to stay hidden during their shadowing. The one thing they couldn't risk though was using their communications devices to contact the Empire since they would give away their position very quickly. The second set of caves was more promising and once they had found a deep enough hole that had multiple compartments, they set their things down and looked for some shrubbery to better hide the entrance. After they were done with that task, the sun just began to set and they entered their new shelter for the night.

"What's stopping them from picking up our fire?" Ruby asked as she placed the twigs and other scraps of wood into a pile so that she could light it. There were rocks surrounding it to act as a makeshift fire pit to prevent it from spreading.

"CIS sensors are designed to pick up heat sources from mechanical devices and natural ones are tuned out. It helped when their forces engaged ours on volcanic worlds in the outer rim," answered the former soldier as he got out some ration bars for them to munch on. The bars had been there main source of food the last week given that they could not afford to cook a real meal without the risk of being caught.

"Volcanic worlds? Like worlds that are nothing but volcanoes?" inquired the red-cloaked Huntress in surprise since they were a rarity on Remnant. The last real volcano that was known to explode was eight years ago on the edge of Vale that had been Grimm infested.

"Pretty much or covered in molten lava like Mustafar and Sullust. If you end up out there when this is all over, you're going to find that there are many different types of worlds with their own unique environments," informed the older man snacked on the ration bar, that tasted rather bland, and watched as the fire roared to life. Ruby had used a fire dust crystal to start it and the illumination was dimmed from being seen from the outside because of it being off to the side of the entrance.

"It is amazing that we on Remnant went so long without encountering the rest of the galaxy," the young woman commented as she took in the warmth from the small fire. The temperature outside was already dropping though it wouldn't reach freezing until a few more weeks.

"I think I am also amazed since from what I understand, there are no records of this world being encountered by the Old Republic as any time despite the considerable human population. It could be that your ancestors came here on some colonization effort or even refugees from one of the many past conflicts," speculated the former commando, giving the idea some consideration. The galaxy was a big place so it was inconceivable that there were worlds out there that had been lost to time.

"Well we'll just have chuck it up to a mystery that will need solving at some point down the line," was all that Ruby could say, now snacking on a ration bar and pulling out a bottle of water to wash it down. She wondered how much longer until the White Fang reached their destination because she wanted to find a town and an inn to go with it.

"Speaking of mysteries, what has you all apprehensive right now? I noticed it once we crossed the border," Nix asked the Huntress, leaning back and stretching his legs. He was starting to realize that the young woman was more complex than he thought.

"We're less than a hundred miles from my home right now and I haven't been this close since I left years ago," Ruby told the clone while the two sat on opposite ends of the fire. From her tone, Nix could tell she was heavily conflicted right now.

"I'd wish I could say something that could alleviate your feelings but I've never really had a place to call home given that I have gone from one battle field to another. If I had one suggestion, it is that you might need to make contact to at least warn them about what the White Fang now have since you said your family considered them enemies as well," Nix advised Ruby and she seemed to consider his words. While she was more than nervous on seeing Qrow or Yang again since she was still slightly angry with them, she knew she at least owed it to her father to visit.

"It's funny, before the Empire came and the Fall of Beacon all I wanted to do was be an awesome Huntress like the fairy tales told. Now I am here in the middle of nowhere following the same people who helped destroy one of my homes. If things had been different, I wonder where I'd be?" the red-cloaked Huntress asked herself out loud as went to her inner thoughts. Nix just laughed out loud and somewhat envied her youth.

"Sorry to say kid that real life ain't no fairy tale. I also want to say that what is happening here is pretty tame compared to what is happening in the rest of the galaxy. There's a war going on out there right now and there is a chance that your planet might get caught up in it as some point," Nix pointed out as he leaned back against the wall of the small cave. While he was tired, he wasn't sure if he should take the first watch.

"I know that but I was hoping that I could make things that way by protecting people and fighting bad guys who wanted to harm my world," Ruby slightly countered though there was a hint of understanding in her voice. Like the other Hunter, she was also tired but could not bring herself to close her eyes.

"And that's noble but sometimes bad things happen no matter what we try to do. During the War, there had been times where the Republic tried to protect as many civilians as they could when they ended up in the middle of battlefields but sometimes it did not work out well for anyone. You may have thought you were being trained to protect the people from monsters, but you were really being trained as soldiers in a war," stated the older man as he added another piece of wood to the fire in order to keep the chill off of himself. Even though he still had his armor which helped against the elements, it would not fully keep him warm as the temperature continued to drop.

"I think that's what Jaune said to me right after Beacon though he was a little out of it at the time," recalled the red-cloaked Huntress as the memories of back then flooded into her head.

"A friend of yours?" inquired the former commando as he was curious.

"He was though it's been years since I've seen him. The last I heard, Jaune and the remainder of his team were with the Imperials as Huntsman grouped with their forces. Given what happened with Pyrrah, I am not really surprised he along with Ren and Nora signed up with the Empire. I don't think they would even contemplate having anything to do with some of my former teammates given that Blake and Yang hate the Empire along with Qrow as well as a few more of my friends," Ruby explained to the man as the fire began to die once again. There was a hint of sadness in her voice as she knew that having all of them together again as friends was something that would never happen again.

"Wars always end at some point and don't give up hope that things can be reconciled between all of your friends. Sometimes all there is, is hope," Nix commented to the young woman though he had to admit it did sound pretty cheesy to even him. He remembered hearing that from a Jedi General back during the Clone Wars; just before she had been killed during Order 66.

Nix had been off planet on a medical transport during Order 66; thus he did not have the unfortunate opportunity to take part in it.

"Right now, I just hope to make it long enough to get to Salem and destroy her so that particular threat is over," said the red-cloaked Huntress as she started to yawn and feel sleepy. They had pushed hard to keep up with the White Fang convoy and her aura was just about depleted.

"I'll take first watch so get some sleep; will wake you in a few hours," the former commando said to the younger woman and Ruby nodded. She then laid down on her sleeping bag and pulled up her hood to shield her face from the light.

After a few hours had gone by, Nix let the fire die and watched for activity in the darkness using the night vision in his helmet. The advance sensors did not detect any movement in the immediate vicinity of the cave to it appeared that they were safe for now. It amazed him that he was now becoming involved in all of this when he simply just wanted to just live a more simple life away from conflict. However, the clone knew that with obvious friction between the Imperial Authorities and the civilian elements of the galaxy, it was only a matter of time before he was caught up in it. As it stood, he didn't really favor either side with Nix seeing the brutality of the Empire first hand but also being knowledgeable of the widespread corruption of the Republic itself; which the Rebellion was trying to reestablish.

He woke Ruby up after letting her sleep for about six hours, offering to loan the young woman his helmet to keep an eye on things. She refused and once again alluded to her abilities being good enough for her to keep watch for the rest of the evening. Trusting her, he laid down and set his helmet to wake him up in about four hours though he also activated his perimeter alarm just in case something happened while he was out. As he nodded off, Ruby pulled out her scroll looked to see if she could get a signal from the network; getting a rather weak one. Since it had been a while, she decided to check out the news even though she knew it was under tight control and edited by the Imperials. There wasn't anything too relevant, other than the usual propaganda, but one article did catch her eye. Especially with it being centered around a picture of her former partner Weiss Schnee.

Out of everyone that Ruby been separated from since the Battle of Beacon, she really missed Weiss the most. Not only had the Schnee been her partner, but it felt that she had also been her best friend. There had been times that Ruby had been tempted to make the trek to Atlas to see Weiss but never could bring herself to do so. Part of the reason was that she never expected to even get a chance to see her friend given that the Schnees were now at the top of the hierarchy here on Remnant with her at the extreme low end. Of course, there was a chance that Weiss would see her none the less given that she had already done much to ensure that Ruby could remain a Huntress in the new world order. Another reason was that Ruby knew there was a chance that Weiss might ask her to stay and participate in the new Government and the red-cloaked Huntress had no desire to veer from her intended path to the destruction of Salem as well as her minions.

As daylight began to break, Ruby roused Nix from his slumber and they had a quick meal before exiting their cave. From the looks of it, they were just in time to catch the White Fang preparing to move out. The Faunus were definitely not sending out patrols which sort of made sense given that they were still in an isolated section of the continent. It was though only a matter of time before they came close to one of the many towns that now lined up Vale in the aftermath of the Empire's arrival. Once that happened, the convoy would for sure be spotted and be reported to whatever local Imperial garrison in the vicinity. This suggested to both the Huntress and the former commando that something had to be up since there was no way that the White Fang would just throw away such a force. Unless this was part of a larger operation for some coming attack on a target in Vale; which was a major possibility.

Following the convoy, they made their way into a dense green forest with a single brown dirt road going through it. While the White Fang adjusted their vehicles because of a thinner route, Ruby and Nix slipped into the trees themselves and used the thickness to hide in. The sun was now directly above them in the sky but partially failed to penetrate due to the makeup of the forest itself; thus it was very dark at the moment. While they could only get glimpses of the convoy as they started to make their way in, the two companions could definitely hear them with the sounds of trees being cleared by some of the larger vehicles. Truthfully, Ruby had no clear idea where they were right now other than it being clearly in Vale; wishing she had a map right now or time to check one of the many apps on her scroll.

"We're going to have to be careful right now because the Faunus will be more alert now and using their senses. They are able to see in the dark than humans and even hear better," Ruby quietly warned the clone as they hunched behind an old tree. Both could see an MTT through the cracks of the forest and it appeared to be struggling slightly.

"What about the Grimm? I'd imagine we are in their territory now as well," commented the former soldier and he scanned the area around them. Other than themselves and the convoy, there didn't appear to be any other activity.

"For sure but the Imperials did a pretty good job of cleaning them out in Vale though there are more than likely small groups still about. I can shield myself from them sensing my emotions but they will probably be drawn to the White Fang or even you," informed the young woman as she closed her eyes and used her abilities to see if there were any dormant Grimm around. She did not sense any but that never meant they weren't there.

"We were pretty well designed to not feel fear given that we were intended for warfare against the Republic's enemies. Don't worry about me," Nix told her as he continued to survey the area around them. As a commando, he had been trained to keep his emotions in check at all times compared to other clones.

"Grimm are attracted to any negative emotions so please be careful. I know full well that emotions can go wild during battle," remarked the red-cloaked Huntress firmly and the clone nodded in understanding. They then continued to move through the trees, always keeping an eye out for one another so that they don't get separated.

As it got closer to the evening, it was more than apparent that they were not going to exit the forest in time. With the White Fang stopping for the night, both Ruby and Nix knew that they would have to set up camp but also realized that there was no place to set up without the possibility of being found by the White Fang. Looking up at the trees themselves, massive wooden oaks that were more than likely ancient, they saw that the limbs were quite large and could probably hold them for a great length of time. While Ruby was able to use her semblance to get up onto the limbs with ease, Nix had to risk using his jetpack to scale the tall limbs while making sure to hide behind one of the larger tress doing so. He doubted that something as small as his jetpack would be detected by the Faunus, both he and Ruby moved to another tree a little ways away just to make sure.

The air had an even greater chill to it than the night before and both of them had to rely on their attire for body heat. There was also a slight wind going on which caused the leaves to dampen the sounds of their breathing, which helped hide them, and they were high enough that their scents did not seem to get noticed. The forest was pitch black, with the bright broken moon of Remnant failing to breach the top of the forest, and while Nix had his visor to see the activity going on below, Ruby had to rely on her training in the field to get by though she did have a small pair of night vision goggles in her bag. She had brought them when she had first went out on her own into the wilderness to train and kept them as a backup even after she had honed her skills to the point where she no longer needed them.

They slept in short shifts, waking one another up whenever a patrol happened to get too close to their spot. The Faunus seemed to be sending out small groups of three every few hours and they seemed to be armed with blasters. Nix recognized them as separatist models that had been carried by B1 battledroids once upon a time. While both he and Ruby could have swept in at any time to take out the White Fang patrol at any time, they also knew that they could not afford to be detected at this time. So every time the Faunus got too close, they simply hid up above which the enemy never bothered looking. It was kind of silly to Ruby that they would neglect to do so given that Nevermores liked to nest in large trees such as this but then again, the flying Grimm had not been seen around this part of Vale for a long time.

"Any idea on how large this forest is?" Nix whispered at the young woman once the recent patrol had moved on. While there was a lack of sounds coming from any local wildlife in the area, there was a wind starting to blow which allowed for some noise in the woods.

"No and I still am not sure where we exactly are. We have to be in the outskirts of the Kingdom since every new town is still massed in the center of Vale itself. I think that is why the White Fang chose this route since it keeps them away from Imperial checkpoints," Ruby answered as she thought about it. They had been moving south when they had entered the forest, having curving that direction after the last few nights.

"If I remember my briefings correctly, the Imperials have Vale pretty heavily enforced so while I think a force such as this could do some damage, it's definitely not enough to capture any real installation," remarked the former soldier thoughtfully; having been considering the force for some time now. While the Hailfires would be great for a raid along with the ATTs, the MTTs were way too slow to be effective.

"And I don't think that Adam Taurus would throw away desperately needed soldiers on ventures that would get him nothing. The raid at Vacuo at least stowed terror so it had served some purpose but attacking an Imperial Base directly deep within their territory would be stupid even for that psychopath," Ruby stated with a snarl. While Salem was at the top of her hit list, Adam was also on it given what he had done to his sister.

"Which makes me wonder what this is all about; though it might just be meeting up with a much larger force. I just can't see them risking a large scale operation with such a large fleet in orbit at the moment. That's where the Imperials have the edge right now since their ships can bring down fire upon any target if needed," stated the older man as he used his sensors to see if there was any more movement. For the most part, it seemed that their immediate area was clear so that they could get some rest.

"Maybe unless Salem is making her move now. I haven't been really in the know on what has been going on behind the scenes for a few years now so for all I know, the final battle is at hand and this is only the first part," Ruby speculated though her instincts were telling her that something else was up. It could also be that Adam was making his own moves and was no longer answering to the Queen of the Grimm.

Eventually, the two managed to get it a few more hours of sleep with each one holding watch while the other rested. The White Fang kept their patrols on throughout the night but never managed to stray too far to their hiding spot; thus the two were never in much danger of being discovered in the trees. When daylight hit, they snacked on their ration bars and bottled water while the Faunus were preparing to move out towards their unknown destination. When the convoy did finally begin to move, both the Huntress and former soldier left the trees and followed on foot once again while using the woods as cover. She still failed to detect any Grimm activity and was now wondering if that was on purpose given the alliance between Adam and Salem; having doubted that the Faunus followed Salem like her other minions. While she really wanted to kill Adam herself, she would still be satisfied if Salem had him mauled by a Grimm of some kind.

"I think I can hear the ocean," Ruby said as a new sound could be heard as the forest began to diminish. While the sounds of trees falling and the vehicles moving were the dominate noises at the moment, she swore she could hear something that sounded like waves against rocks.

Sure enough, after a few minutes the two found themselves outside of the forest and onto a beach.

"That, should not be here," Nix said in disbelief as a large vehicle lay on the beach directly in front of where the road exited the forest. Even as he spoke the words, the White Fang convoy emerged and headed towards it.

Ruby studied the mechanized vehicle and deduced that it was an aircraft of some type. The light-brown craft sat on the sandy beach and she could already see Faunus all around it; with their being a painted emblem of the Terrorist Organization on its side. The ship almost resembled a giant H on its side with the curved flaps obviously the wings. At the tips of the front wings were weapon emplacements with two more turrets on the center of the vehicle just above what looked like the bridge. The bottom front of the craft was opened up with a pad coming out of it which Ruby assumed allowed smaller vehicles to enter; which was now happening with the convoy now loading onto it. Ruby was perplexed that the White Fang would be able to fit such a large amount of vehicles onto it even if it was quite large.

"What is that?" Ruby asked the former soldier and they hugged the ground in order to stay out of sight. While their vantage point gave them the perfect spot to look upon the activity below, it also left very little to hide behind.

"That is a C-9979 Landing Craft that was once used by the Separatists during the Clone Wars and by the Trade Federation before that. Its basically a transport though they were used as anti-fighter support for the Confederacy warships on occasions. I am just astounded that something like that could be here used by a bunch of terrorists and not be detected by the Imperial Fleet in orbit. Looks like there is some major corruption going on in the ranks right now and things are going to get very bad soon if these guys have that this type of equipment at their disposal," stated the ex-commando in a rather grim tone of voice and was tempted to just cut and run. However, after experiencing what happened back in Vacuo, he could not see himself turning his back on something like this.

"I think we should warn the Empire since having Adam Taurus and Salem possessing something like that will throw Remnant into chaos. But, I do want to know where this group is going before trying to communicate with the authorities," the red-cloaked Huntress said to her companion while trying to see if there was a way to sneak aboard the vessel without being detected. It was a risk given that she had no clue how many Faunus were in the craft itself thus they could be caught.

"Agreed; lucky for us, I think this particular model is one of the first types since all the later versions were of a darker color. Thus, there should be several maintenance doors on the other side that hopefully won't be guarded," Nix informed Ruby while pointing at a particular spot towards the back of the C-9979. There seemed to be some large sand dunes near that spot so there was a chance that they could make it without being seen.

"Let's go then before they leave," the Huntress said firmly and both of them crawled along the ground but still going at a moderate speed.

Luck was on their side as it appeared that the White Fang were completely focused on their job than making a proper perimeter. Both the former soldier and the Huntress were able to make their way without really being seen though they had to really hug the ground. The sun was high in the sky and the ocean waves were pretty gentle at the moment. Ruby and Nix managed to get to the craft with no issues with there being a lack of activity in the back. The ex-commando led them to the hatch he was talking about and he used his knowledge of past missions in order to pry in open long enough for them to get in. He knew there was always a delay with the alerts of the hatch being open to the bridge, a flaw in the design of the craft, so he was able to get them aboard without detection. Once inside, he shut the access behind them and they made their way inside along narrow tunnel; which was barely big enough for the both of them.

As they entered one of the storage bays, they felt the craft begin to take off.

 **Please Read and Review!**


	16. Advancement

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

 **Again, a thanks to all those who continue to follow the story and I appreciate all reviews you send my way. Still looking for an editor so if you are interested, drop me a PM and I will send you excerpts of the chapter for review.**

 **Things will start picking up quickly here pretty soon so expect more action at some point than just conversations. I also am planning out the second story in this series though it will be mostly short stories with a common plot point. Part 3 will be my biggest venture which I will draw heavily from the content from Legends EU in the aftermath of Endor; there will be nothing from Disney Canon here.**

 **Anyways, enjoy the chapter.**

Weiss leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

While she had been tempted to simply check her scroll for any messages, she decided that the peace was what she needed for now.

Currently, she was in a _Sentinel-_ class transport on her way to Beacon to oversee some business for the SDC. While she had ridden in regular Imperial shuttles in traveling Remnant, it was decided that with the current state of things, she would be better protected in something designed for combat. Alongside the transport was a full squadron of Tie Interceptors that had just arrived from the Core for her escort. Weiss had noticed that the mansion as well as other SDC facilities in Atlas had heavier military presence as of late and wondered if her father had anything to do with it. He had yet to reveal his progress in his goal to become part of the leadership in the Empire but his continued absence might be a positive sign. As his official and only heir to the family, she would rise in status along with him. Besides her stormtrooper escort, she was alone in the small space where officers sat during landings.

Normally, she wouldn't have bothered doing the deed herself and simply send an subordinate in her stead but she knew that it was too important not to tend directly. One of the very few traits one had to admire about the elder Schnee was his commitment to getting things done, even if it required his immediate supervision. Thus Weiss was expected to make similar moves as temporary head of the SDC until her father returned to Remnant. She still had no clue when that was so everyday required her presence at the office though she still tried to get some training in between the daily meetings with officials. The main SDC building happened to have several rooms that were empty so she ordered one converted into a private gym so that she could work out as well as relieve stress. She doubted her father would care as long as she kept her commitments to the company as her top priority.

"We'll be landing in about ten minute's ma'am," informed on the Imperial pilots as he emerged from the front of the craft. Dressed in a green uniform, he had a black helmet on that covered his head as well as the upper part of his face.

"Thank you," Weiss simply said politely and the man gave a short bow before walking away back to where he came from. She then took a sip from the bottle of water next to her and prepared herself for arrival.

Presently, she was wearing a white battle dress that was similar to the one she had worn back when Team RWBY had faced off against Torchwood in the Paladin. At her side was her Myrtenaster, which was never questioned by the Imperials what so ever. Her hair was tied in its standard pony tail and she had only put on a little makeup with very little to cover up the scar on her face. She had recently found out that the Imperials respected her as well as her scar, liking the fact that she was combat trained. Though there was vibrant sexism in the Empire at certain parts of the High Command, there had been very little encountered by herself so far. It was something she knew she would expect at some point once she had succeeded her father as the head of the family and would be dealing with the Imperials on a daily basis.

The craft landed about the side the pilot had said it would and Weiss stood from her seat to head towards the back ramp. Once the signal was given, the young woman began to stride slowly to the exit and was flanked by the six stormtroopers all around her. Once had walked down the ramp to get a good view of Beacon, she did her best to keep her face impassive though she felt nothing but disgust at what she was seeing. While the central part of the former school was still intact in the way she remembered it, the rest of the campus had been converted to resemble a pure military base. Where flowers and fountains had been, barracks and hangers now occupied with walkers as well as troops. Where green fields once lay, there were now huge landing pads for larger ships to land as well as Tie Fighters. Suppressing the urge to throw up, Weiss just walked on towards the command center.

The plan was to talk to the person in charge of the outgoing transports full of dust to their facility off world. Since her arrival back on Remnant, Weiss had been sending out vast amounts of dust to the location designated by her father and things have gone well until recently. Apparently, there had been some delays in the scheduled departures for the _Acclimators_ assigned to move the dust and Weiss felt she was getting the runaround from the Imperial officials. Even more, the heiress swore the numbers did not add up when the inventory reports were sent back to Remnant from their new facility thus she was more than suspicious. With recent events, Weiss wondered if the White Fang were stealing dust to sell for weapons on the galactic black market. She knew all about the criminal organizations that existed in the galaxy and also knew that it wasn't hard for them to get a foothold on Remnant given that every nation had a certain level of corruption in it.

Walking into the command center, Weiss was about to head to the air traffic controller's office when she spotted someone she knew with his back to her at the receptionist's desk. The command center itself had once been one of the councilor offices when Beacon still had been a school for Huntsman. While the décor was still the same, brown carpeting with white plaster walls, the Imperials had removed some of the walls to make the reception area larger. Instead of wooden desks with computers on them, full blown terminals manned by Imperial officers were the new look. The ceilings had sensor nodes as well as what appeared to be a few blaster cannons in case someone got violent. There were also a large number of guards in the room though they made up of regular security instead of the white armored troops of the Empire.

"And how long will that take?" Taiyang Xiao Long demanded to know at the junior officer that sat at the desk in front of him. The green-clad young man just gave him an impassive look while motioning over to the two guards that stood at either side of the desk.

"As long as the background check needs to be and Imperial Authority is satisfied. Until then, you will be detained as our guest for the time being," informed the young captain crisply as the two stormtroopers headed over to Taiyang with their weapons drawn. The ex-Hunter instinctively activated his gauntlets which put the additional guards on alert.

"What is going on here?" Weiss asked firmly and with as much authority she could muster and brought everyone's attention to her. Given her status, even if it was temporary, caused the captain and the other guards to stand at attention.

"This vagabond is trying to get a travel pass but has to subject himself to a full background check given his questionable connections ma'am," answered the Imperial Officer in a firm but subservient demeanor. The blonde man narrowed his eyes but knew they were probably talking about his daughter and Qrow.

"This man happens to be the father of Ruby Rose; the young woman who was recently honored by the Empire for her heroics in Vacuo. Are you accusing the man responsible for her birth of being an insurgent?" inquired Weiss as she glared at the young man with anger in her voice. While she never met the man, only seeing his photos back when she had attended Beacon, Ruby had said that her father had been there for her as a child; which made Weiss feel a twinge of jealously given her own relationship with her father.

"Regardless of that fact ma'am, we still have to go through proper protocol to make sure that we are not allowing a dangerous individual to wander Remnant," the Captain nervously argued as he motioned for the guards to step back. While he only frequented this base and tended to ignore the politics of the local population, he still knew that he was walking on egg shells.

"Mr. Xiao Long was a teacher at a local school; not part of any Kingdom's military or any radical group. When he wasn't teaching young hunters in training, he was taking care of his family as a single father. This man is not dangerous and I demand you give him what he wants or do I have to exert MY authority?" asked the Schnee with a slight snarl as she got into the young officer's face. She never liked stooping this low to get what she wanted but when it came to those whom she considered close to her heart, Weiss was willing to do whatever it took.

The Imperial Officer looked at her for another minute before sighing nervously and went to the terminal in front of him. After only a minute of him typing, he handed Taiyang his travel pass, the highest rank, as well as what he needed to be able to carry his weapons around. While it wasn't on par with the full benefits of what an official Imperial Huntsman had, it would still get him past all the checkpoints without being harassed by the authorities. The blonde man smiled at that and placed it in his pocket. Since he already had all his things with him for the trip itself as well as spending money, there wasn't a need to head back to Patch. He would drop a line to Yang once he was almost to Vacuo.

"Thank you Weiss; it's nice to finally meet you," said Taiyang as both he and Weiss headed away from the desk to go and talk. They went over to a pair of chairs with the Schnee's escort still at her side.

"I almost believe you when you say that. I know full well that my name isn't really well thought of by your family," Weiss stated in regards to Qrow and Yang though she wasn't sure what Blake felt on the matter. While she had very few friends still within the Huntsman community, Weiss still heard things when it came to opinions about herself.

"I mean that sincerely. Ruby thought of you as her partner and her best friend so that is all that matters to me. I know that you are trying your best to work with what you have and I have a feeling that Ruby has been able to do what she needs out there by herself because of your help," the older man said to the younger Huntress with relief in his voice. Though he didn't know the details for sure, he assumed that Ruby had to have had help from some aspects of the Imperial leadership on Remnant in order to get around freely.

"I did what I could with my influence. I just wish I could be there for her with whatever quest she is on. I assume you are going after her?" asked the Schnee though she already knew the answer. She knew from her ex-partner that Taiyang never really left Patch for anything unless it required family.

"That is the complicated factor though do you know if she has left the city?" asked Taiyang, hoping that the young woman knew the answer. It occurred to him that Ruby probably already had left the city for parts unknown; which would make his search complicated.

"Yes though I have no clue to where. The only information I have for you is that she has yet to encounter any of the checkpoints on the main routes. The Empire has increased their presence in Vacuo so it's only a matter of time before she reappears," answered the younger woman with confidence though even she had to admit it was a long shot. When it came to Ruby coming into contact with areas under Imperial control, she always left by the time word got to the Schnee.

"Then I'll just have to do it the hard way then; thank you for your help regardless and I'll make sure Ruby knows that too," Tai stated as he rose from his seat along with Weiss. There was a train heading towards Vacuo due to depart Vale soon and he needed to make it in time.

"Just tell her that I would appreciate it if she would contact me. I miss her," Weiss said with heavy emotion in her voice. Truthfully, the young woman missed all of her friends even though it became apparent that they were now on opposite sides.

"I will; goodbye Weiss Schnee and I am glad to have finally met you," the blonde Hunter said before giving her a hug. She hugged back and watched him leave until he was out of sight.

Instead of heading to the office of the man responsible for all transports that left Remnant, Weiss decided to head out to inspect the latest shipment herself. Her sources told her that the man himself was probably involved with the possible theft of dust from the SDC shipments as was definitely the one behind all the delays there had been. While she was tempted to confront him directly and even use her position to order his arrest, she knew that she had to be sure before making a very bold move. It was one thing to exert her authority over a young captain in the Imperial Army on a trivial issue, but it was another to have a higher ranked officer arrested on a treason charge she did not have evidence for.

Leaving the building, Weiss walked with her escort to the Acclamator that was parked on one of the tarmacs built in the aftermath of the Empire taking over Beacon. The large former-Republic transports had been commissioned to transport the SDC's dust since the extra security was warranted. While the transports were still escort by a few Imperial warships, the Acclamators could still protect themselves given that they had directly fought in the Clone Wars during the various space battles. While she had never been on one hrself, Weiss had read all about them when she had received a communication from her father that they would be used to move all of their company's dust off world. They also had been used to drop off Imperial forces on occasions as well as other equipment thus why special runways had been constructed for them in the first place.

As expected, dust was still being loaded onto the ship though she was surprised to see Agent Loor overseeing it.

"Agent Loor, I am surprised to see you here," Weiss said to the man as she walked up. Dressed in his black uniform, he had a datapad in his hand in front of some opened containers of Dust.

"As am I Ms. Schnee; I take it that you are here to inspect the contents of the cargo as well?" inquired the young man in a polite tone of voice. While he seemed friendly to her, Weiss knew the reputation of Intelligence Agents; especially when it came to the person who commanded them.

"I am since I deduced that the missing elements had to have been partially removed when they were delivered here. I had expected it to be at my end back in Atlas or in one of the mines but everything checked out there," informed the Schnee, still somewhat surprised that was the case.

"I as well until I saw how well your company handles it's security as of late," stated Agent Loor as if he had been impressed. He actually was since he had assumed that the situation here was the same when it came to other planetary companies in the Empire.

"Thank you; the SDC has had to deal with the White Fang for years so we have learned how to properly manage our Dust shipments. While there have been some thefts in the past, the Schnee Dust Company does what it can to adapt to prevent future incidents," stated the Huntress while trying to not make that sound like a company line. She was pretty sure the Agent saw through her little ploy but all he did was nod; though it wasn't a complete falsehood given that her family really did try to make its security absolute.

"I find this substance fascinating and am amazed that it can do so much," Loor said to the young woman as he looked down at the open containers. They were a mix of packaged red powder and red crystals of different shapes.

"It's been the life blood of our civilization ever since the beginning of recorded history on Remnant. Without it, we could never have survived against the Grimm," the Schnee said as she picked up one of the crystals in her right hand. Her father had ordered that both processed and processed Dust was to be transported as well as all types.

"I've read that as well as the fact that only those native to your world can use it. I have been informed by my superiors that all attempts to replicate the process on other humans have failed as well as even make it artificially. It seems that this substance as well as the people on this planet are truly unique in the Empire," mused Kirten as he took one of the crystals and handled it carefully. From what he understood, only the natives here could set it off intentionally though there was always the risk of accidently setting it off.

"Thank you; I will take that as a compliment. I am hoping that the Empire can find use for Dust such as the fire crystal in your hands," Weiss said as she used her aura to activate the crystal and shoot the flaming crystal into the air. Agent Loor signaled for the security forces to stand down while being impressed at what he saw.

He was about to say something when a female lieutenant came running up.

"I apologize for disturbing you ma'am but you are ordered to the communications center. There is a transmission for you coming from the Imperial Center," informed a blonde who seemed about Weiss's age. The Schnee nodded and Agent Loor made a small bow before the huntress walked off, following the officer.

As they walked through the base, her escort still with her, Weiss already knew who it was without her even being told. Usually, her father sent simple or detailed messages but she suspected that it was only a matter of time before he spoke to her in person. She wondered what he wanted and hoped it wasn't about the shipments since it wasn't exactly her fault that the thefts were happening in the first place. Hell, she was the one who first started suspecting there were problems after reviewing the reports coming from the off world SDC facility. It also wasn't her fault that the Imperial Military had a few rotten apples that were probably behind the thefts and might be even the ones looking the other way while weapons found themselves in the hands of the White Fang.

The small group moved through the hallways of the interior section of the base, which used to be Beacon tower. Weiss had been in this part of the former school many times and the Imperials had not bothered to really change anything though they did remove the pictures showing various fights between Hunters and Grimm. In their place were the typical artwork of Imperial propaganda along with scenes showing the Emperor in various acts. The busts and statues also had been replaced with various Imperial Heroes as well as those from the Clone Wars though the Empire had left the plants. They even appeared to be taken care of with routine watering and pruning by perhaps the staff here at the base.

"In here ma'am; the General has authorized you to use his private communications room to speak in," informed the lieutenant as she opened the door and motioned for Weiss to go inside. The Schnee nodded and left her escort behind while entering the darkened room.

"Father," Weiss greeted with a curtsey at the life-sized hologram of Morgan Schnee that was in the center of the room. The room, with various consoles and monitors, had a sigle holo projector in the center of it.

"Weiss; it is good to see you my daughter," the Elder Schnee greeted with a smile and Weiss instantly became alert. Her father seemed genuinely happy, thus his pleasant attitude with her, and once she saw the insignia as well as the uniform he was now wearing, she understood why.

"Congratulations on your promotion," said the young woman as she inwardly sighed. She knew things were going to be different now with her father unleashed.

"I got an audience with the Emperor himself and it was he who gave me my promotion. As of now, Schnee family is in full charge of Remnant," informed Morgan and one could practically hear the glee in his voice. Her father always got this way when something he planned went right and this was his way of boasting about it.

"When will you return?" inquired the Huntress as she considered what her options would now be given the new state of affairs. Though there was a good chance that she would remain in control over the SDC given her father's new duties, he always considered the SDC his real child thus he would probably put that as his main priority.

"In a couple of weeks; I have some last minute business in the Imperial Center as well as touring our new facility on Zhar. I also have news about you as well and it directly affects you," stated her father with a little more seriousness now. He still seemed happy though and now he was entering his business mode.

"And what would that be?" Weiss asked while trying to keep her voice passive without showing any apprehension. She couldn't help that she was about to once again be a pawn in her father's game which was kind of the norm in her family.

"That you are to take my place as Moff of this system once I retire or die," answered Morgan with a smile; as if it were great news. Weiss was however confused since she knew full well how the Imperial Hierarchy worked.

"The position of Moff is not hereditary and it is well known that the Empire does not promote females into that position," stated the younger Schnee with obvious perplexity. She supposed she should be somewhat relieved that she wasn't going to be married off though now she even more things to worry about.

"The Emperor made an exception and it is by his decree that you will take my place as head of this system. When I get back, we will have much to discuss and I promise you that things will now be different. While James will act as my advisor and take a more active role in managing the forces on the planet, I plan to dissolve the Council and fold the more useful elements into my new Administration; though I will have final say. I will deal with those filthy White Fang once and for all and the question of the Faunus problem will be resolved my way. There will be much to do so prepare for my return my daughter and heir; you will be busy," Moff Schnee said before his image vanished and left the young woman alone in the darkened room. She just stared at the spot for a minute before walking away.

Weiss truly did have a lot to prepare for if she wanted to keep the Faunus safe from her father's wrath.

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	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Still don't own it

 **So here is a tip to those who read the Inferno Squad Novel before playing Battlefront 2 Story Mode- be prepared for disappointment. The Novel was great, the only canon story I actually like, but the campaign in the game took that story and ruined it.**

 **Also, a reviewer suggested that I go back and change the Elder Schnee's name to Jacques in order to fit the Show; though I am tempted to do that, what do you guys think. The only reason why I am hesitant to do that is that reposting chapters would screw with everyone's alerts for this story's updates.**

 **Speaking of updates, the coming chapters will soon be action packed. There will be an event coming that will feature multiple perspectives so expect some great reading ahead; I hope.**

James Ironwood left Atlas without his guards.

Understandable given that he couldn't trust them because they were Imperials and not his old troops before the Empire arrived.

The first time he had done that, he of course had caught the attention of Imperial Security; which of course made sure to follow him. He knew that were of course and that had been part of the plan. He had gone to a small cabin that had belonged to his family just outside of Mantle to stay for a few days; which he had done on occasion even when he was still Head of the Atlas military and Hunter Academy. By making this a routine, he was able to give the Imperials the impression that there was nothing wrong in what he was doing. As expected, the usual squad of agents would follow him to his place and watch as he just did regular things like read as well as maybe do some fishing. He also made sure to train out in the open against fixed targets in order to keep his body fit as well as show that nothing was up.

Piloting the bullhead he had borrowed, he traveled by himself while fully being aware that he was being tracked by an Imperial Shuttle some distance from behind. When he first started doing this, it had been a squadron of Ties as well as a fully manned _Sentinel_ -class transport that shadowed Ironwood. After a few more times and making sure to act as non-suspicious as possible, the Imperials dropped their intense monitoring to only using a token detail. This allowed him to operate under the radar when conducting his business with Ozpin and Glynda as well as the other members of their Core Group. Even with his status, it had been hard to do since had no real knowledge of what the Empire knew about his activities though he had made some friends in the Imperial Army that could tip him off. Then again, if the Empire did know something then he along with his friends would have been a long time ago.

Even though he was still a General in the Atlas Military, Ironwood didn't really have any power at all. All military matters on Remnant were controlled by the regular Imperial Forces with Atlas's own troops acting as a backup force in case of something drastic. Most had been disbanded and were now tending the new infrastructure that now supported the planet but those who remained were nothing more than guards in the less important areas within the former Kingdom's borders. James had done what he could for them, making sure they were properly stimulated and even visiting them in order to boost morale but there was only so much he could do. It was only when the Empire had start actively recruiting that he grinded his teeth and encouraged his former people to enlist though it seemed that the Faunus were the only major group that went that route. Their intention was clear though since life on another world was preferable to that on this new Remnant.

As he began his final approach, Ironwood watched as his cabin came into view. Made of wooden logs with a brick chimney for warmth, there was snow all around it as well as the frozen lake that the building faced. There were a few other cabins around and Ironwood knew that the farthest one from him, on the other side of the lake actually, was often used by the Imperials in order to spy on him. Nest to the cabin was a large stack of firewood as well as a portable generator that ran power to the devices that was inside. While he would have liked to have roughed it completely, his position meant that he could not afford to cut himself off from the outside world thus there was an advance communications device inside. He also had an array of personal weaponry as well for protection which his position did allow him to possess.

Landing the craft, Ironwood grabbed his duffle bag and walked out of the bullhead towards his cabin. There was a chill in the air and the sun was just starting to set over the horizon thus he needed to get a fire going quickly; though he suspected that the cabin was already warm given that he was here on business and expecting company. Opening the door, which was already unlocked, Ironwood wasn't surprised to find that his guests had already arrived and was seat in chairs. Ozpin was sipping a cup of coffee while in a rocking chair while Neo lounged on the couch just staring at a book. Glynda was also in the room though she also seemed to be preoccupied with something on her scroll. The windows were covered with black drapes though Neo had probably already masked their presence by now.

With the small crowd, the cabin looked a lot smaller on the inside with the kitchen and living area sharing one space. The floors were bare of any carpeting and slightly dusty from not being walked on for a while. The walls, also slightly dusty, had photos of Ironwood's days when he had been younger and depicted him at various periods in his career in the Atlas military. The kitchen had a mix of modern and older appliances; the stove being made of cast iron and used wood while the refrigerator was only a few years old. There was also a microwave next to the sink that had a hand pump to pour water out of. On the far side of the rood was where the bedroom was though there was no real door to separate the spaces thus you could clearly see the kept bed as well as the dresser. There was another door though leading to the bathroom which housed a large tub, toilet, and small sink.

"Any issues getting out for you?" Ironwood asked Glynda as she put her scroll away to look up at him. It was weird seeing her in casual attire of a black pair of pants with a purple overcoat; also wearing regular shoes instead of heels.

"No though I will need to get back to Vale soon in order to keep up appearances. While the Imperials pay me little mind, I don't want to give them a reason to," Glynda answered while looking over at Ozpin. It was he and Neo that had managed to sneak her here as they always did when meeting like this.

"I imagine they'll be distracted with other things soon and there is a chance that you might not be included in the new Administration that will soon exist," stated the Atlas General as he placed his duffle bag on the floor and took a seat. While the others were dressed more casually, the man was still in his military uniform.

"Yes, I imagine Moff Schnee will want only those he knows part of the new Government here on Remnant. Has he contacted you?" Ozpin asked in a grim tenor while simply staring as if he were lost in thought. His tone indicated that he was greatly concerned about the recent change in events.

"Yes and he is already boasting about his new status. Apparently, he is going to make me head of all Imperial Forces by making sure I am commissioned as an Imperial Officer. It is supposed to be a sign that we are still friends," informed Ironwood with a deep sigh. He still wasn't sure what to think about that given that he considered himself a General of Atlas than one in the Imperial Military.

"Under normal circumstances, I would consider that something we could use in the future but given the Schnee Patriarch's disdain for Faunus this could be bad. No doubt once he arrives, we could see a potential incarceration of the entire race here on Remnant with no one to no longer hold him accountable," stated Ozpin and one would hear the intense worry in his voice. James could understand though since things could now escalate to the point where chaos would soon follow.

"But there is still hope that Ms. Schnee could temper her father and keep him in check. If the rumors are true, she will succeed him once he is gone," Glynda suggested as a way to give the group something to have hope about. Unlike her father, Weiss wasn't anti-Faunus and had used her position to try and protect them.

"We all know that there is only so much Ms. Schnee can do in regards to her father. By the time she takes the reins, it might just be too late. My other concern is what will Salem and her allies do once the elder Schnee initiates his plans for Remnant. Given that we now know that the White Fang have access to almost the same advanced weaponry as the Empire, war is bound to happen sooner than later," the former Headmaster said before taking another sip of what he was drinking.

"What will she do? Salem has to know that any major military move by her and the White Fang will bring the wrath of the Empire upon them. Even if she did enough damage to the Imperial Forces in the system, the Empire will just send an even larger force. This is a war of attrition that she cannot win and neither can the White Fang," Ironwood reasoned as he considered it from a military perspective. He was very well aware that any real conflict with the Empire would be a waste of time for any resistance on Remnant.

"She does and that is what concerns me. Salem never acts out of desperation and I don't think she would make her move without making sure that everything is in place. Though it is a possibility that the White Fang are acting rogue, I think she might be allowing all the attacks as of late," Ozpin speculated as he leaned forward and stared into his coffee while being deep in thought.

"So what do we do? If war does break out, then we might have to choose a side," stated the older female in the group. Neo had yet to give any indication that she was paying attention to what was going on and was instead still focused on her scroll.

"We do our best to protect the people and that includes any Faunus whom does not wish to be aligned with the White Fang. There are still areas on Remnant that are isolated from the Empire's eyes as well as cut off from Salem's influence and we can try and get as many as we can to safety," announced the former Headmaster in a commanding tone though it was better said than done. He no longer had the same influence as before though he still had his people in some positions in Mistral and Vacuo.

"Then I will do my best to make sure our group flies under the Imperial Radar but I cannot say the same thing for any Hunters out there not wanting to be a part of the Empire. Have you been in contact with Qrow?" inquired the Atlas General in referencing Ozpin's most loyal servant. It had been years since James had seen the Hunter and was not even sure if Qrow still worked for the former Beacon Headmaster.

"Yes though not really in person. I have him keeping an eye on our former students so that they don't do anything drastic in their organizing. The last thing we need is for them to start a war with the Empire in order to add more chaos to Remnant. I am thankful that it has only been the White Fang as well as Salem's minions that have caught the Imperial's attention," answered Ozpin while putting his coffee cup down on the small table in front of him. Neo instantly jumped up and grabbed the cup to refill it from the coffee pot sitting on the cast iron stove in the kitchen.

"Yes, the last thing we need is to have all Hunters swept up and imprisoned because the Empire sees them as a threat. We should be thankful that the Imperials see the use for them against the Grimm since even their advance weapons cannot rid the planet of those beasts," the female teacher commented with relief in her voice. No matter what the Imperials threw at the creatures, all they could do was keep them in check.

"The Grimm are part of this world just as much Humanity as well as Faunus are. The Empire with all of their advance weapons cannot rid Remnant of them as we have tried in the past. We also are the only ones that can use Dust as well which sets us apart from the other element of the Human Race. The Empire might be able to somewhat use it for their engineering purposes but they cannot harness it to its full potential like one who has activated their Aura can," Ozpin stated as if it were a matter of pure fact. Ironwood and Glynda had no reason to doubt him given that he was far more knowledgeable than they could hope to be.

Some distance away, Cinder and Adam realized that as well.

Currently, the two were meeting up in one of the many secret bases on the continent of Anima not too far away from Haven. With it being underground as well as it once been used by the Faunus during the war with the Humans many years ago, it was well known to only those close to Adam. It was also a vast tunnel system with many large rooms that allowed the White Fang to store many of their new vehicles as well as train their forces. While some of the base had been converted for their new fighters with hangers and refueling stations, other parts still sported dirt floors as well as tiny spaces for storage. There was no central heating and the plumbing was fairly primitive with the cooking area resembling a camping trip. The White Fang made do though and were happy with the advance communications system set up to link with their other bases all over the planet. They even managed to scramble their signals so that the Empire could not pick them up.

After receiving the news from Salem's agents of the new appointment of the Schnee Patriarch, both knew that they had to push their plans at a faster rate since things were about to become more complicated. Salem had sent Cinder to see how far ahead Adam was in preparations for their opening move against the Empire. Seated at a small table with Emerald by her side, the Bull Faunus sat opposite from her and was going over reports from his commanders in the field. It was taking a while to move all of his forces to their positions as well as coordinate the raids he had been waging against the Imperials to test their response as well as see how the training of his own forces were going.

So far, he was pleased to see how fast his fellow Faunus had adapted to their new weapons though he had yet to field any of their new fighters to go up against any patrolling Tie Fighters. Though the Z-95 Headhunters and V-19 Torrents looked impressive, only seeing them in action would satisfy him. As for his ground forces, the heavy vehicles he had received from the black market had more than delivered. While the former CIS equipment had been originally designed to be automated, the White Fang had done more than an adequate job of converting them so that they could be manned by the Faunus. The one problem was that even though they had the plans to make more of the vehicles as well as the other equipment, setting up factories to do so while keeping them under the nose of the Empire was a serious issue.

There was also the factor of the White Fang's numbers that were a factor as well. While there were a slow number of recruits coming from the former Kingdoms as well as Menagerie to replace what he had lost over the years, they were not as dedicated as their former members. It was more than apparent that the Battle of Beacon had somewhat alienated the Faunus community and it was only because of Atlas's position in the Imperial Occupation that forced them into the organization rather than the dream of their dominance over humanity. Another disturbing factor was that Faunus were starting to leave Remnant as well, taking advantage of being recruited in the Imperial Army sent offworld for training. Thus if they ever returned, they would be more loyal to the Empire than to their fellow Faunus.

"My people are getting in position for our coming moves but all that will be useless unless your mistress delivers on her promise to Remnant of the Imperial Fleet in orbit," Adam pressed the other person at the table as he looked up at her through his mask. Cinder wasn't surprised that the leader of the White Fang considered himself outside of Salem's group even though his current status was achieved because of her.

"My mistress is making her preparations herself and says she will be ready when "Moff Schnee" returns from the Imperial worlds to take control. Already, she has massed Grimm that have never been encountered on Remnant and in greater numbers than ever witnessed. All you will need to do is to keep up your end of the bargain once everything is over," stated the Fallen Maiden as she smirked at the Faunus. There was a hidden meaning behind it that Adam instantly picked up on and smiled in return.

"Are you sure you can control the Grimm once you take charge after your scheme comes to fruition? Otherwise, our victory will be hollow in the face of Grimm running rampant," inquired the Faunus as he became suddenly concerned. The only reason why his forces were able to move around in territory not managed by an heavy Imperial presence was because Salem kept her beasts off their backs.

"Salem's been giving me more and more power over the creatures and I think I know how she does it. Having access to her inner lair also helps thus I'll be able to remove both she as well as Ozpin at the appointed time," informed Cinder in a gleeful voice at the thought of what was to come. It still angered her that Salem blamed her for their loss at Beacon and that she couldn't kill Ozpin though it was because of the Imperial intervention.

"Does she suspect what you are planning? We can't afford a misstep at this stage of the game," stated the White Fang leader with obvious concern. After all, they would only have one shot at this in order to remove all their opponents.

"If Salem suspected that on what I was going to do, she would have already eliminated and replaced me with someone else. The old hag suspects nothing though it will be difficult to deal with her other minions once she is gone. While we can remove Watts during the Beacon operation, Tyrian and Hazel might be a hassle," stated the young woman with a frown and concern of her own.

"Won't the two just look to your leadership once she is gone?" asked the Faunus as he leaned back in his chair. While he maintained a partnership with Cinder as well as her cohorts Mercury and Emerald, he had zero influence with the rest of Salem's core group.

"No; Tyrian is too much of a fanatical worshiper of Salem to even listen to me and Hazel dances to his own tune thus I have no idea why he follows the old hag. We'll have to remove them once our plans are completed," answered Cinder though she knew that was better said than done. While she was fairly confident that the scorpion Faunus could be eliminated without too much hassle, the ex-Huntsman could be a difficult challenge; especially since she no longer had Mercury with her.

Cinder was glad that she had not chosen to divulge all of her as well as Adam's plans to the silver-haired young man. If she had, then everything would have been ruined given that he had recently been captured by the Imperials. Because of that, which wasn't her fault in the slightest, Cinder had been punished by her mistress harshly. The only information they had was that Mercury was being held aboard the Imperial Flagship and was probably being interrogated for everything he knew. While her plans might not be at risk, the Empire would probably discover everything about Salem if they didn't already know. While Watts had reported that the Imperials probably didn't know about Salem originally, he wasn't in a high enough position to know for complete assurance. In fact, his position might now be threatened depending on what Moff Schnee does once he assumes power over the planet.

Thus why they needed prepare to act once he arrived.

"I imagine our agreement will still be in place once everything has been achieved? I don't trust you humans at all," stated the Faunus with an edge to his voice. It still bothered his somewhat to be partnered with her though he really had no choice given his lack of allies.

"Of course as long as I can count on you not to stab me in the back. We have a good thing going and we can rule this world together once our enemies are dealt with," Cinder said in an attempt to reassure her partner of her sincerity. She didn't trust him at all but knew that he needed her just as much as she needed him.

"The Faunus treats those who help them as friends unless they betray us. You can count on me as long as you remember what will happen if you turn on me. This is why Blake will suffer once I have her finally in my grasp," snarled the Faunus as the thought of his former mate burned in his mind. It wasn't enough that she had left him on that train and turned her back on the White Fang, but that she was now together with a human that truly enraged him.

"Speaking of which, how much is she going to become an issue with her challenging your leadership?" inquired Cinder in an effort to address the loose end. There had yet to be another meeting of the core leadership of the White Fang because of increased Imperial scrutiny thus Adam was still able to hold onto power.

"There will be no issue. Once the Imperials are dealt with, the Faunus will come under my leadership and Blake will be dealt with in the aftermath. I will keep everyone occupied enough to where I can purge my people of those who stand against us," Adam adamantly said with no regret what so ever. As far as he was concerned, any Faunus that stood with humanity was an enemy to the entire race.

"I would advise you be careful when dealing with those you consider your enemies. The History of Remnant is full of those who tried to rule with the sword and it never went well for them," advised the Fallen Maiden with a firm voice of her own. She knew full well that Adam often went overboard and needed to bring him down to earth.

"History that is full of Humans that have failed; I am superior to them in every way so I have nothing to worry about," said the Bull Faunus, dismissing Cinder's advice. She just shook her head and knew she would need to watch her back around him once their victory was achieved.

After all, she knew full well that there was no such thing as a real ally; only those who recognized your rule.

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